Category: National News

It’s unclear how far Republican leadership plans to take the arrests, and there remains debate about the limits of law enforcement’s authority to detain lawmakers who are not accused of committing crimes.

Some of the more than 50 absent Texas House Democrats have begun returning home from Washington, D.C. But between those staying behind, and those planning not to show up at the Capitol, there appears little chance the House will have enough members Saturday to conduct business.

Following Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that a second round of legislative overtime would begin Saturday, the Democrats who relocated to Washington, D.C., to prevent the House from having enough members to conduct business indicated they are still discussing what they’ll do now.

The governor said Thursday the second special session will get underway at noon Saturday, with a 17-item agenda.

The U.S. Justice Department sued Abbott and Texas after U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland called the order “dangerous and unlawful.”