As the 1 p.m. deadline for a quorum call came and went, Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows announced a series of actions to hit House Democrats in their pocketbooks.
Speaker Burrows announced 96 members of the Texas House clocked in for duty Friday at 1 p.m. The roll call board showed 95 members present. One other member was on the House floor but did not activate his light. This means eight Democrats were present. The House rules require 100 members to be present to conduct business.
Burrows declared a series of actions designed to hit the quorum-busting Democrats financially.
First, Burrows stated that members who were absent without an excuse to break quorum would no longer receive their paychecks or per diem payments via electronic deposit. Instead, the speaker said, the members will have to pick up their checks in person at the Capitol.
He also announced the withholding of 30 percent of the absent member’s monthly operating budgets. These funds “will be reserved and made unavailable for expenditure,” he stated.
Furthermore, members must be present in person to make specific requests. These include requests for travel reimbursement, changes to staff salaries, and approval of newsletters.
The speaker ordered all members to be present on Monday and be ready to conduct the business of the House.
The speaker, in conjunction with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, took additional actions to compel the presence of the jet-setting Democrats who fled to Illinois, California, and other states.
