srothstein wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 8:33 pm
Interestingly, here is the rule on arresting the legislators who bugged out:
Section 8. Securing a Quorum
When a call of the house is moved for one of the above purposes and seconded by 15 members (of whom the speaker may be one) and ordered by a majority vote, the main entrance to the hall and all other doors leading out of the hall shall be locked and no member permitted to leave the house without the written permission of the speaker. The names of members present shall be recorded. All absentees for whom no sufficient excuse is made may, by order of a majority of those present, be sent for and arrested, wherever they may be found, by the sergeant-at-arms or an officer appointed by the sergeant-at-arms for that purpose, and their attendance shall be secured and retained. The house shall determine on what conditions they shall be discharged. Members who voluntarily appear shall, unless the house otherwise directs, be immediately admitted to the hall of the house and shall report their names to the clerk to be entered in the journal as present.
Until a quorum appears, should the roll call fail to show one present, no business shall be transacted, except to compel the attendance of absent members or to adjourn. It shall not be in order to recess under a call of the house.
What I found most interesting is that the rule says the arrest may take place wherever they are found but so far everyone says it must be in Texas. I am guessing that this is because there is no set penalty attached and SCOTUS has ruled only felonies may cause an arrest out of state. That would also be why they left the state instead of just hiding in state or having to flee the country.
Even more interesting is that it takes a majority of the house to vote to release them from the arrest. Could we convince the Republicans to hold them until the end of the next session?
There is one good point to this. The governor had used the line veto option to eliminate all budget money for the legislature beginning Sep. 1. That bill has not yet passed the special session. It cannot be passed until they return for a quorum. The funny part is that this veto included agencies like the Legislative Budget Board. I hate to see the employees lose their jobs, but I love to see that we are not spending any money on these people who fled the state.
I wonder if this is why they chose the (Federal) District of Columbia. If I recall correctly, the last time they pulled this they fled to Oklahoma when they had a Democrat governor. Or for whatever reason, I seem to recall that Oklahoma was not going to support the arrest by Texas LEO's in Oklahoma. No more Frank Hamer with a Texas Highway Patrol commission and the local Sheriff setting up an ambush.
