MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
In Texas, Republican leaders have threatened to arrest Democratic lawmakers or kick them out of the Legislature unless they come back to the statehouse.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Yeah, Democrats fled the state trying to stop Republicans from redrawing the voting map. The GOP is responding to calls by President Trump to make it easier to pick up five more Republican seats in the U.S. House next year. The House currently has a narrow Republican majority.
MARTIN: Joining us now is Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom. She is based at Member Station KUT News in Austin. Good morning, Lauren.
LAUREN MCGAUGHY, BYLINE: Good morning.
MARTIN: So let's talk about these consequences being tossed out there. What are Republican leaders saying they are going to do to try to make these Democrats return?
MCGAUGHY: Yeah, you know, Democrats are facing several threats for breaking quorum. The most immediate is the threat of arrest. So yesterday, the House voted to issue arrest warrants for the absent Democrats. And then Governor Greg Abbott authorized state troopers to round them up. House Speaker Dustin Burrows says the quorum break won't prevent them from redrawing the maps.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DUSTIN BURROWS: Let me assure you of this. While our work may be delayed, whether it's tomorrow or next week, the House will complete its required duties.
MCGAUGHY: Now, the tough part there is many of these folks are in Democratic-led states, and the troopers do not have the jurisdiction to pursue them across state lines. Democrats will also probably have to pay $500 a day in fines. And Abbott's talked about bribery charges for the support they get and even trying to kick them out of the legislature. But, you know, I talked to legal experts that questioned his authority to do any of that.
MARTIN: So this isn't the first time Democrats have tried this kind of move. In past years, it hasn't been seen as particularly successful, although some lawmakers dispute that. But either way, is it different this time?
MCGAUGHY: You know, I think so. Back in 2021, that fight was over a state voting bill, but Democrats didn't stick together. The quorum break failed. Now the fight is national. On one side, we have Texas Republicans who are acting on President Donald Trump's request to redraw the state's congressional maps. And on the other side are Texas Democrats. But this time, they have allies from California to Illinois to New York backing them up. You know, Texas Dems feel like if they give up, it'll just be the first domino to fall. Trump may then ask other states to redraw their maps, too. In Boston, Ana Hernandez, one of the lawmakers who left the state, told WBUR it's a threat to democracy.
ANA HERNANDEZ: Because it's Texas now, but it's going to continue through the rest of the states, and it's going to kill our democracy.
MCGAUGHY: And I should note that democratic states like California are talking about doing their own redistricting to counter what Trump is asking for here. You know, this event really could just be the beginning of a yearslong national battle over voting maps.
MARTIN: Could you just remind us of what the stakes are here for people running in these elections, but also for the people who want to vote in these elections?
MCGAUGHY: So Democrats say Black and Latino districts are being targeted to dilute the power of nonwhite voices in Congress. They say, you know, this rewrite is basically inherently racist. Texas Republicans say, this isn't about race. It's about political parties. You know, there are a couple of weeks left in this special session, but the governor can keep calling more until Democrats return.
MARTIN: That is Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom. Lauren, thank you.
MCGAUGHY: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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