Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed an emergency petition with the Texas Supreme Court seeking to have 13 seats in the state’s House of Representatives declared vacant. The action targets Democratic lawmakers who recently left the state, preventing the legislature from maintaining the quorum necessary to conduct official business.
According to the filing, the absence of these lawmakers has stalled legislative work, including redistricting measures and other pending bills. Paxton argued that their decision to leave the state was a willful refusal to perform their constitutional duties, which require members to be present for sessions unless formally excused.
The lawmakers reportedly traveled to Illinois in an effort to block the passage of redistricting maps they say are politically motivated. Supporters of the move have described it as a form of protest aimed at protecting fair representation. Critics, however, contend that abandoning the legislative process undermines democratic governance and disenfranchises the constituents who elected them.
Paxton’s office has also launched an investigation into reports that a political action committee with ties to billionaire George Soros provided financial and logistical support to the absent lawmakers. Allegations include fundraising for travel expenses, accommodations, and other resources that allowed the group to remain out of state.
Under Texas law, declaring a seat vacant would allow the governor to call a special election to fill it. Paxton’s petition urges the court to take swift action, citing the pressing need to restore the House’s ability to conduct business.
This latest development escalates an already tense standoff between the Republican-led state government and Democratic legislators, with potential implications for the balance of power in the House and the future of key policy decisions in Texas.
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