Governor Greg Abbott's emergency legal petition aims to declare vacant the seats of Democratic legislators who left Texas. This action seeks to facilitate the passage of a congressional map to enhance GOP seats, influenced by President Donald Trump's demands. The petition contradicts Texas legal precedents and a recent Supreme Court ruling. Attorney General Ken Paxton criticized the approach, noting Abbott lacks authority for such a case. Targeting Rep. Gene Wu, the filing serves as a potential test case for broader removal of absent lawmakers. Legal experts contend that denying quorum doesn't equate to abandoning an office.
The emergency legal filing represents an unprecedented escalation of Abbott's effort to pass a new congressional map that adds additional GOP seats, as demanded by President Donald Trump.
Legal experts say it flies in the face of Texas' own founding documents, centuries of legal precedent and a recent Supreme Court of Texas ruling.
Abbott's petition specifically targets Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic leader, serving as a test case that could eventually allow him to remove every member who left the state.
It is hard to argue that leaving the state to deny the Legislature a quorum is equivalent to abandoning an office, legal experts say.
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