The struggle to stop voter suppression in Texas is still raging. On August 10, Dade Phelan, the Republican leader of the lower house of the Texas legislature, signed civil arrest warrants for 52 members 0f the Texas House of Representatives. The 52 Democratic legislators fled the chamber in order to prevent the legislature from having the quorum necessary to conduct business – in this case, the business of voter suppression. The arrest warrants are designed to guarantee that the missing lawmakers would be arrested and brought to the legislative chamber.
Despite the controversial nature of the tactic of fleeing the legislative chamber, a coalition of social justice organizations released a statement urging House Democrats to hold firm and continue breaking quorum. The 21 groups included Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, the state’s Sierra Club chapter, the Texas Organizing Project, Progress Texas, the Communications Workers of America, and several groups that advocate for Latino Texans.
“To every pro-democracy Texas lawmaker: the only way to preserve our right to vote and the best way to fight is to stay off the House floor,” the coalition’s statement said.
