Democrats in Texas went out to prevent the Republican Party. To what extent of the tactic has done before?

More than 50 Democratic legislators in Texas State Sunday, in an attempt to prevent the controversial passage Map dividing the new circles This would fulfill President Trump’s desire to add up to five other seats in the Republican Congress in the US House of Representatives.

This step is called "Break the quorum." The Texas house requires 100 members present to do business, but it has only 88 Republicans. It needs democrats in the room, even if they do not need their voices, in order to enact the new map.

"If you are the minority party, and you can not prevent any legislation, then one nuclear option always has to go out, thus preventing the legislature from engaging in any activity, especially the passage of legislation," Mark B. Jones, Professor of Political Science at Rice University.

By leaving the state for liberal strongholds such as Illinois and New York, dozens of Democrats bring the body to a dead end – at least at the present time. It is not clear how long they will be able to stay away from their personal and financial obligations, especially since Texas. Legislative calendar part -time It means that many legislators occupy second jobs.

The Legislative Council in Texas is currently in a special session of a 30 -day session to consider the proposed map, among others Specific agenda elements. Although the session is scheduled to end on August 19, the governor of the state, Greg Abbott, has the authority to summon special sessions at any time, forever.

"This is often a very effective strategy for delaying legislation and highlighting this legislation," Jones says. "But it is not an effective strategy to prevent legislation actually, because the ruler of Abbott can continue to summon the Legislative Commission in Texas in the private session for a month after month after month, and this will require these legislators to stay outside the state."

Texas has seen a number of withdrawal operations from the legislator, Since 1870 And more recently 2021, when Democrats left the state To protest the Republican efforts to reform the rules of voting. Nearly five weeks, many legislators returned to the homeland, which allowed the vote, and the bill was approved.

I watched other states, including Oregon, Indiana and Minnesota as well Legislative exit In recent years, with mixed results.

Brandon Rothsheus, a professor of political science at Houston University, says that although the quorum breaks were relatively rare, it often occurs with the increase in partisanship, in Texas and outside.

"In the past two years, it has become clear that Texas policy is merely a reflection of national policy," He says. "The type of polarization that we see, the types of coming issues, the methods in which the members behave and the way the governor behave is all in line with what the national policy does."

How did the previous roaming operations play?

Previous touring operations at the country level focused on hot issues such as the re -division of circles, abortion and voting.

"The times when we see these breaks are times when the political process appears to be completely due," Rottinghaus says. "One of the two sides feels that they simply do not get attention or the ability to participate in the process the way they want, so they simply pick up their marble and leave the game."

In January, after weeks of fighting on how to manage an equal divided room, 66 Minnesota Democrats unearth On the first day of their legislative session.

They were able to prevent Republicans from electing a speaker and conducting business for a period of three weeks, as the Supreme Court in Minnesota officially put the standard for light in 68 members – where legislators brought to the negotiating table. Democrats Return After the two parties reached the Energy Participation Agreement in February.

In 2023, Republicans in Oregon came out for six weeks – The longest one Among the many in the history of the state-on proposed measures that protect abortion rights, arms and care regulations that confirm sex.

It ended with what the Republicans considered a victory: Democrats presented new releases of bills in a more soft language in some rulings. But it came at a professional cost. The Republicans violated a procedure in 2022 approved by voters who prohibit legislators from their re-election if they had more than 10 absence of an unexploited-and the members of the Senate who came out. It was banned from running again.

Texas also witnessed its share of withdrawal. In May 2003, more than 50 democrats in the House of Representatives State To protest the plan to re-divide the republican-backed circles-like the current withdrawal. They spent a week at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Oklahoma, stopping until they were absent from the legislative deadline of the draft law.

But it was not a complete success. At that time, my God. Rick Perry described a series of special sessions, leaving more Democrats. He also sent law enforcement after the Democrats, as much as state lines. A month later, one of the Democrats returned to the homeland, restored the quorum, and the draft law was approved by dividing the departments in the third special session.

What are the consequences of walking?

Jones says that the legislators in Texas who came out in 2003 and 2021 did not face any real sanctions after that, by leading the House of Representatives or by voters.

This time, the Texas Prosecutor Kane Pakston and other Republican lawmakers called for the arrest of the Democrats who left the state upon their return.

Abbot also has Threaten From the office, quoting a Legal opinion Buckston wrote in 2021, the last time the Democrats were broken in Texas. While the efforts made to remove legislators face legal challenges, some other consequences are inevitable.

Jones says that after 2021, the Texas house changed its bases to add a fine of $ 500 a day for every day that other lawmakers were unemployed. Rottinghaus says they may lose other things, such as their office budgets and parking.

Moreover, Rottinghaus says, the legislator’s path tends to worsen tensions between the two parties, as was the case in Texas.

"This happened in the seventies and there were some difficult feelings, but by the time when it occurred in the first decade of the twentieth century, Bloodsport was." He said. "Because of the increasing risks, it has reached the point where both sides are looking for revenge. This is not a great place to be political."

What are the prospects for exit?

If spy operations do not usually succeed – and can lead to counterproductive results – then why do they continue to use a tactic?

"The best hope for Democrats of this is the bright highlight of what is happening in Texas as a result of some of these national forces," Rottinghaus says, referring to Trump’s pressure on Republicans in Texas to re -draw his map.

Fears have sparked that other countries can follow their example, and to reformulate their maps in Congress often more than 10 -year -old temporal breaks in order to give one party a political advantage. This would violate not only the long rules, but also the provisions of the 1965 voting rights law aimed at preventing minority voting, says Jones.

"If Texas succeeds in this effort to reduce the ability of Americans and Africans to elect the candidates they choose … it would indicate that the same will be possible in other states, for example, Florida or Missouri," Jones says.

Democrats in Texas hope to force their Republican efforts to make changes to the process of re -dividing the circles, either allowing more time for their inputs or even controlling the map itself. Even if this does not work, Rottinghaus says that reaching their issue to the national public has its own benefits.

For example, Democratic leaders in states such as New York, California and Ilinoy welcomed the Democrats in Texas and took their cause – indicating that they may respond to some Efforts to re -divide the circles in the middle of the session Their special, even if it takes years.

” Sunday press conference Which – which "Everything should be on the table," While the governor of New York Cathy Hochol Monday pledged to "Do everything we can to stop this broken attack." New York may not have the flexibility of other countries. Because of the state constitution, both legislators and voters will have to weigh, and this may take years.

"The heroes will be made from this procedure," Rottinghaus says. "This will make many professions and may be a kind of pivotal point for how Democrats take the national level. This, I think, what they hope for."

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