❓WHAT HAPPENED: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott filed an emergency petition to the state Supreme Court to remove state Rep. Gene Wu from office after Wu fled with other Democrats to block a redistricting bill. The Texas Supreme Court took up the petition late Tuesday, giving Wu until Friday to respond.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), state Rep. Gene Wu (D), Texas House Democrats, and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX).
📍WHEN & WHERE: The petition was filed on Tuesday evening in Texas following the Democrats’ departure over the weekend.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Absconding from the State during a constitutionally mandated session… constitutes a flagrant violation of Wu’s oath and is an intentional abandonment of his constitutional duty,” the lawsuit states.
🎯IMPACT: The Texas House Republicans plan to attempt reaching a quorum again on Friday, after failing earlier this week.
Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) filed an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court on Tuesday to initiate removal proceedings against state Representative Gene Wu (D) and Texas House Democrats. Texas’s high court took up the petition late Tuesday evening, giving Wu until Friday to respond.
Wu, who serves as the Texas House Democratic Caucus chair, was among several Democratic lawmakers who left Texas to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass a congressional map that could provide them with five additional pickup opportunities in the 2026 midterms.
According to Abbott’s filing, Wu violated the state Constitution by failing to return for the vote, claiming that his actions amounted to abandoning his office. The petition argued that maintaining quorum is “an affirmative constitutional obligation” and accused Wu of “openly renouncing these constitutional mandates by fleeing the State of Texas to break quorum.”
Responding to the accusations in a statement, Wu said: “Let me be unequivocal about my actions and my duty. When a governor conspires with a disgraced president to ram through a racist gerrymandered map, my constitutional duty is to not be a willing participant.” He added, “Denying the governor a quorum was not an abandonment of my office; it was a fulfillment of my oath.”
The Texas Supreme Court quickly took up Gov. Abbott’s petition, giving Wu until 5:00 PM on Friday to respond.
The emergency petition follows remarks from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who hinted at potential legal action over the situation. Texas House Republicans are expected to attempt to reach a quorum again on Friday, after failing on Monday and Tuesday.
Image by World Travel & Tourism Council.
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