“It’s time to get back to the business of the people of Texas.” I appreciate you all being here,” Phelan said.
Growing impatience among Republicans had led to escalating threats that missing lawmakers could face arrest, but officers never appeared to do more than leave warrants at Democrats’ homes.
Still, Republican house speaker Dade Phelan said enough were there to achieve a quorum, which in the house is normally 100 legislators. Only three new Democrats showed up Thursday, and the vast majority of the more than 50 Democrats who bolted to Washington in July continue to stay away from the Texas capitol. Many of the proposed changes to Texas voting that Democrats have railed against for months remain in a bill that already passed the state senate, and Republican governor Greg Abbott could now sign the legislation in a matter of weeks, if not sooner. Instead of a unified and celebratory return by Democrats, some members lashed out at their colleagues over what they criticized as breaking ranks. Some returned home and resumed their day jobs – which many legislators have in a state where the house meets only once every other year. Over the past few days, some legislators who remained in Texas had been nervously hopping from one place to the other to avoid being caught and brought in. The standoff reached a tipping point last week after Republicans authorized law enforcement to find and arrest their missing Democratic colleagues and lead them back to the capitol.
The house now has the required two-thirds of members necessary for a quorum to conduct legislative business, and Republicans have already scheduled a hearing on the voting bill for Saturday. After a 38-day walkout, Texas Democrats who fled the state capitol to block Republican efforts to pass harsh new voting restrictions returned to the floor of the state house of representatives.
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