San Antonio — Texas Democrats who fled to Chicago are expected back in Austin tomorrow, and the showdown in the State House is shaping up to be historic. Republican leaders have reissued arrest warrants, and political theater could be waiting on the House floor.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said on Friday that he expects a quorum, the minimum number of representatives needed to vote on a bill, to be restored by Monday. That’s when Democrats who fled to Chicago are expected to walk back into the Capitol.
Burrows said:
“I’m sure you’re missing home. Do not think you have permission to return to Texas and enjoy a peaceful weekend before finally showing up to work. DPS will remain active, and civil arrest warrants will be reissued. If you are located, you will be compelled to this chamber….”
A local attorney who worked inside the state capitol in 1979, during the famous “Killer Bees” walkout by state senators, says tomorrow could look very different than back then.
Tim Maloney, attorney, said:
“In 79, there was a huge controversy when John Connally was running for president in the 1980 primary, and to facilitate that election for him, there were several different bills introduced to change the rules on the primary so they would favor Conley. And also, there were other detriments attached to companion bills that would have fundamentally changed the primary process. And so 12 senators, very 12 courageous senators who saw no other way to do it in 1979, decided to sneak out in the middle of the night, and they hit out for about four days and and that the rest is kind of history.”
Maloney remembers when the “Killer Bees” returned, they were greeted like heroes.
“They were victorious. They stopped the bill. And again, it was such a victory lap and victory parade. They came back as conquering heroes. And there was a young Lloyd Doggett. There were some great senators back then. I mean, men of character and just of courage.”
But Maloney thinks this time the outcome could be far more confrontational. Especially after the actions taken on the House floor on Friday by Republican State Representative Charlie Geren.
State Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Tarrant County, said:
“I move that the sergeant of arms or officers appointed by her send for all absentees whose attendance is not excused for the purpose of securing and maintaining their attendance under warrant of arrest if necessary, and that this order be continued beyond the adjournment of today’s session until the further order of the House….”
Maloney said:
“Sergeant of arms will lock the doors. They may clear the gallery, and they’ll keep them in there or or we live in such sinister, ugly and unfaithful times that I would be surprised if this is a show of force that Abbot does something like, you know, arrest them, handcuff them, parade them in the show that he has rounded them up.”
If Democrats are detained, Maloney believes it will be more about theater than jail time.
“There will be true theater, political theater, there after, how they go about it. And they will do, they will do silly things like, you know, having the Rangers surround them.”
Maloney tells us, whatever happens Monday, one thing is certain.
“All I know is that it’s going to be a hell of a show on Monday.”
Speaker Burrows has vowed to push through the agenda quickly to get this special 2nd session done by Labor Day. We will be on the House floor to see if all Democrats return to the Capitol as expected.