The governor of Texas is promising to remove from office those Democrat lawmakers who fled the state to prevent a legislative quorum – and a vote on redistricting.

Gov. Greg Abbott has given the Democrats who have abdicated their responsibility to vote until late Monday to return.

The Democrats fled “in a last-resort attempt to block redrawn U.S. House maps that President Trump wants before the 2026 midterm elections,” according to a report in the Washington Times.

The Democrats fled to Democrat strongholds in Illinois and New York.

The issue is the districting plan that would make five more Texas congressional districts likely Republican seats, a move that would increase the GOP’s opportunities for maintaining the majority in the U.S. House in the next election.

Republicans now have 25 of the state’s 38 seats in Congress.

The state House had planned a vote on the proposal Monday, but it could be delayed if Democrats refuse to fulfill their commitments and vote.

The move mostly only delays the changes, the report explained. “In 2021 when many of the same Texas House Democrats left the state for 38 days in protest of new voting restrictions. Once they returned, Republicans still wound up passing that measure.”

This year Abbott is taking a hard line, and he has cited a non-binding 2021 legal opinion from Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton that suggested a court could determine that a lawmaker has forfeited their office.

“Truancy ends now,” Abbot said.

BREAKING🚨: Governor Abbott has issued a warning that if House Democrats do not return by 3 PM tomorrow, he will move to declare their seats vacant and replace them, referencing an Attorney General’s opinion on lawmakers abandoning their posts. He also cautioned that fundraising… pic.twitter.com/xqVoPqfa3j

— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) August 4, 2025

The governor also pointed out that the lawmakers may have been committing felonies by raising money to pay for fines they could face, amounting to $500 a day per person.

🚨 BREAKING: Governor Greg Abbott just said the Dems who fled the state to block a quorum for redistricting may face a “SECOND DEGREE FELONY” bribery charge.

FAFO TIME.

“It would be BRIBERY…these legislators sought money to skip the vote.”pic.twitter.com/UrnJAlo0iU

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 4, 2025

Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows said the House still will meet at planned, warning, “If a quorum is not present then, to borrow the recent talking points from some of my Democrat colleagues, all options will be on the table…”

The House rules require two-thirds of the 150 House members to be present for a vote, and Democrats hold 62 seats. At least 51 fled the state, boasted Josh Rush Nisenson, of the House Democratic Caucus.

The offense of refusing to appear actually, in Texas, is a civil violation of legislative rules, and the state Supreme Court has ruled House leaders have the authority to “physically compel the attendance” of missing members.

By their actions, Democrats also are refusing to allow votes on flood relief and new flood warning plans following last month’s catastrophe there that killed at least 136 people.

Fox News reported Democrats, in their supposed safe states, responded to Abbott’s threats to arrest them, and expel them, “Come and take it.”

“Real Texans don’t run from a fight,” Abbott noted.

Paxton has explained derelict lawmakers could be arrested “no matter where they go.”

The governor noted that a ruling that a lawmaker has “forfeited” his or her office can be removed, and under the state Constitution the governor then can “swiftly” fill the vacancy.

Democrats in states where they hold majorities have threatened to redistrict their states, too, although rules for each state have different requirements.