Texas Supreme Court Sets ‘Expedited’ Brief Schedule for Governor’s Suit to Remove Runaway House Democrats

The Texas Supreme Court set an “expedited” schedule for briefs to be filed by the parties involved in Governor Greg Abbott’s lawsuit to vacate the House seat of Rep. Gene Wu. The schedule requires all briefs to be filed and responded to by September 4.

In a statement on social media, Governor Abbott said the order from the State’s highest court brings consequences for fleeing House Democrats one step closer to reality.

“Closer to consequences for Texas Democrats running away from their duties and spending the summer in California and Illinois,” Abbott wrote on X.

Under the expedited schedule, the governor must file his brief by August 2o. The respondents must file their response brief by August 29, and the governor has until September 4 to file a reply, if necessary.

Last week, Governor Abbott filed a lawsuit against Rep. Wu, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, to declare his seat vacant, Breitbart Texas reported.

“Today I took emergency action to begin the removal from office of derelict Democrat Texas House members who refuse to show up for the special session,” Governor Abbott (R) wrote in a post on Tuesday. The governor filed the suit directly with the Texas Supreme Court to quickly “make clear the authority I have to bring the lawsuit (for removal of legislators from their offices).”

The lawsuit followed the actions of Texas House of Representatives legislators refusing the governor’s order to return to work on August 4, Breitbart reported. When the Democrats ignored the governor’s order, Abbott ordered their arrest.

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On August 8, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against 13 of the Democratic lawmakers who had fled the state.

“The rogue Democrat legislators who fled the state have abandoned their duties, leaving their seats vacant,” Attorney General Paxton said in a written statement on Friday. “These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process and violated the oath they swore to uphold.”

The petition filed by the Texas Attorney General states:

The Texas Constitution, statutes, and rules provide a broad range of tools for members of a legislative minority to be heard. But those tools do not include concerted effort by members of the minority to disrupt the functioning of the Legislature by abdicating their duties, including spurning the constitutional authority of the remaining members to compel their attendance. When members of the Legislature disregard arrest warrants, refuse to perform their duties, and announce that they intend to prevent the Legislature from exercising its constitutional responsibilities, they have, through words and conduct, demonstrated an intent to relinquish and abandon their offices.

The House Democrats fled the state of Texas earlier this month to break quorum and prevent the passage of a new congressional redistricting map, Breitbart’s Elizabeth Weibel reported on August 3. It is the second time House Democrats have fled the state in the past four years.