(Texas Scorecard) – As redistricting hearings continue taking place in the Texas Legislature, a new report reveals that Democrats are already preparing to flee the state … again.
According to the left-wing Texas Tribune, House Democrats are privately raising funds from major donors to finance another quorum break, a repeat of their 2021 walkout in which they left for Washington, D.C. in an unsuccessful effort to block election integrity legislation.
This time, the target is congressional redistricting.
If Democrats leave the state to block the Legislature from conducting business, they would face $500-per-day fines under current House rules passed in 2023. That rule change came after there were no consequences for the 2021 quorum breakers.
But according to multiple sources cited by the Tribune, deep-pocketed Democrat donors are pledging to cover those fines, removing a key deterrent and emboldening Democrats who might otherwise hesitate.
Democrat U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett told the Tribune she believes the fines can be avoided entirely—either through legal challenges or by accepting outside money as personal income. She has reportedly offered to use her own donor network and $3.7 million campaign war chest to help cover costs.
Combined, Democrats would need just over $1 million per month to sustain a walkout, a large amount on its own but small compared to money raised by Democrat donors and organizations.
Were this to happen, Gov. Greg Abbott would need to call additional special sessions if he wants to see redistricting along with the rest of his special session agenda passed into law.
The special session is already more than a week in. Before it started, members of the House Democrat Caucus said that they would keep all options on the table, including a potential quorum break.