Texas Democrats could be fined nearly $400,000 for fleeing the state
Texas Democrats will be fined about $ 400,000 for escaping from a gambitte to stop the redistribution led by the Republican.
And this year, if they stayed away from each other in successive legislative sessions, they would have faced more than $ 3.2 million.
The figures calculated by Politico at least according to MPs to break the inadequacy reveal that the expected length of non -state trips and a fine of $ 500 a day, and how much the democrats are willing to suffer. President Donald Trump forcing Texas to withdraw again To create five more republican seats.
At the same time, it is an early indication that this developing blood feud has become the pain of states throughout the country, and that it is thinking about the red distribution of mid -ten years in a competition on the control of the house next year.
Under Texas House RulesEach deputy is fined $ 500 per day for the official work without permission. To break the seeds, it should not be at least 51 democrats, ie it will be collected at least $ 25,500 per day. On Monday, he jumped the session after flew to 57 Democratic blue states and brought the penalties to $ 28,500 – but it was unclear how many absenteeism was due to the Gerrymandering protest.
If the Democrats refuse to return for the length of the entire private legislative session that will end on August 19, they may give a fines of at least $ 382,500 in total.
And if the Republican Gov. If Greg Abbott chooses to call additional special sessions to cross the redefined map at Trump’s request – and the Democrats will be out of the state in the challenge – these fines will accumulate. If Texas’ December 8 candidate stopped until the deadline, the penalties would exceed $ 3.2 million.
However Abbott’s threats to arrest them or empty your offices.
TEXAS representative John Bucy, who joined his colleagues on Sunday, said, “We will discuss it later with the results,” he said. “It is not important right now. Donald prevents Trump from stealing the congress map and gaining midterm exams through cheating.”
This points to the first test that republicans in the legislative parliament have chosen to finish other members. Texas deputies He added daily fines to home rules in 2023 Democrats punish future inadequacies after escaping from the state against GOP voting restrictions in 2021.
Texas Democrats believe that their fines may be an empty threat, and suspected Republicans have the authority to order them to pay them.
“This is a home rule, Andrew Cates, a campaign lawyer in Texas, said,” This is a home rule. ” “This is not a law.” How will they gather? How will they force it? “
It is unclear who will pay money, and the state law prevents deputies from using cash to set foot on the bill. Texas Democrats I think they found a gap around the ruleHowever, they did not provide any specificity.
In the way of the strike, the national democrats promised to help Texas with financial support.
Former representative Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) is one of the best funds to pay for the expenses made by members, supported by the people, a political group founded by the people. Texas Tribune. George Soros, a group of George Soros, who is dedicated to selecting the Democrats, is also working on donor collection.
“We [as members of Congress] We can make legally, we will definitely do. ”
He said that the democrats wanted guidance to collect donations for effort.
Uz When we are asked, we are trying to be sure that we are obeying the federal laws, ”he added. “As soon as we receive the full explanation, we will do our best to support them as long as we work in the law.”
Abbott, any deputy who has received money to pay for fines, said he could be accused of bribery, a second -degree crime in Texas.
This threat seems to be based on an aggressive reading Texas’s public bribery regulation. The state law makes a crime to accept political contributions within the scope of an Open Agreement to take or hide official actions ”.
However, the law says that the decision of the deputies’ decision is not “not to be taken or not to be detained, but for benefit” means just a crime.
It may be difficult to prove when MPs show that they see this mass migration as a last resort to block Texas’ reddagment measures for weeks.
And this is not the only obstacle that Abbott has to clean: the law is not just conditional evidence that necessitates the “direct evidence of such a corrupted agreement. This means that Texas prosecutors will need some kind of eyewitness expression that written or electronic communication or democrats will need clear evidence that they only agree to break the nuclei because of the promise of financial benefit.
If high dollar donors cannot pay invoices, fines will rise quickly for MPs, Who just do it Usually in addition to another career, $ 7,200 per year for legislative work.
Increased costs underline the risk of democrats. They not only walk around in the difficult economy, but also have political security vulnerabilities. Although their aim is to ask for a Trump -supported congress map, they stop the other work of the legislative council, including potential assistance efforts after the destructive floods of the last month.
Other Democrats quickly benefited from the Texas people who left the state for their efforts to collect their donations. Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (DN.Y.) and O’Rourke both sent money to collect money strengthened by people praising the deputies to remove the deputies. The Democratic Congress Campaign Committee stems from an effort by sending an E -mail signed by Crockettt, who participated in the 2021 strike as a state deputy.
Texas House President Dustin Burrows said the democrats would have to pay during a speech from Dais on Monday.
Burrows, “Absolutely to be open, leaving the state does not prevent the work of this house does not prevent, only delay and this room can not move every day, the cost is increasing,” he said. “If you choose to continue this path, you should know that the results will happen.”
Shia Kapos and Kyle Cheney contributed to reporting.
