An Illinois judge denied Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to enforce arrest warrants against derelict state House Democrats.
The Democrats fled to Illinois last week to block the Republicans from voting on a new congressional redistricting map.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened the derelict Democrats with arrest and removal from office if they didn’t return to the Capitol.
Judge Scott Larson said Paxton failed to “present a legal basis for the court to obtain subject matter jurisdiction over this cause of action…”
The Hill reported:
An Illinois judge on Wednesday declined Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s (R) request to hold Texas Democrats who fled there in contempt.
Paxton reached across state lines to seek a ruling that would effectively force the blue state to comply with efforts to arrest the lawmakers and return them to Texas to end their quorum breaking that has blocked Republicans’ redistricting push.
“As the Petitioner has failed to present a legal basis for the court to obtain subject matter jurisdiction over this cause of action, this court is without jurisdiction to grant petitioner’s emergency motion to rule on pleadings,” Judge Scott Larson wrote in a brief order posted on the case docket.
“This court does not find that it has subject matter jurisdiction, this court does not consider the issues of personal jurisdiction, venue or the merits of the underlying petition for rule to show cause or the request to issue a rule to show cause upon the respondents,” he continued.
Texas Democrats caved and will return to the Capitol for Governor Abbott’s 2nd special session to vote on the GOP’s redistricting effort.
According to ABC News, the Texas Democrats should returning home from Illinois soon.
Multiple sources tell ABC News that Democratic lawmakers who left Texas to block new congressional maps from being voted on will return to the state soon.
ABC News’ political director Averi Harper has more. https://t.co/7YdCdv3Q2o pic.twitter.com/doAe55PA6S
— ABC News (@ABC) August 13, 2025
The Democrats are making all kinds of demands for a second special session from Chicago.
How embarrassing. Texas Democrats mailing in their “demands”… FROM CHICAGO.
Come back and fight like Texans rather than running and hiding like cowards. https://t.co/uHdjYHS8Gk
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 13, 2025
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