Speaker Dade Phelan signs civil arrest warrant for Texas House Democrat who returned to Washington
[ad_1]
Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to date on the most important news from Texas. Texas House of Representatives Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, signed a civil warrant to arrest MP Philip Cortez, a San Antonio Democrat who rejoined his counterparts in Washington, DC, on Sunday for the passing of a GOP supported choice to prevent bill. The warrant is unlikely to have any impact as Texas law enforcement agencies outside of the state have no jurisdiction. It’s the first the spokesman has signed in more than 50 House Democrats left the state to prevent Republicans from having the quorum required to pass laws during the special legislative session that began earlier this month . Last week, Cortez returned to Austin from Washington to begin what he said was “in good faith” dialogue on House Bill 3, the electoral law. Other Democrats criticized Cortez’s move, saying lawmakers did not consult with them first before returning to Austin. However, Cortez was back in Washington on Sunday, saying in a statement that talks with Austin lawmakers over the legislative negotiations “have made no progress”. In a statement Monday, Phelan said that Cortez “irrevocably broke my trust and the trust of this chamber” after lawmakers “told me and his colleagues that he wanted to work on politics and find solutions to his colleagues after Bringing Texas Back “. . “” As a condition of being allowed to leave the House temporarily, Rep. Cortez promised his colleagues in the House that he would return, “said the spokesman.” Instead, he fled the state. “Cortez, chairman of the committee for City Affairs of the House of Representatives, did not go directly to the warrant in a statement Monday saying it was “obliged to my constituents to do everything possible to stop this harmful legislation.” “I will continue to fight for my constituents.” to ensure fair and full access to the ballot box, “he said.” All Texans deserve nothing less. “Later on Monday, during a virtual meeting with reporters, US Representative Jim Murphy, a Houston Republican who said the House GOP caucus chairing no frustration with Cortez returning to Washington saying he hoped lawmakers would return to Austin. Other R Republicans applauded Phelan for signing the warrant, including Rep. Jeff Leach of Plano, who asked the night before why Cortez was not arrested before leaving the state. After the Democrats left the state, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of a so-called “Call of the House” to regain quorum. Part of that effort included dispatching law enforcement agencies to follow these Democrats, despite Republicans admitting that state agencies could not force lawmakers back into the Texas Capitol while they stayed out of state. The current special session is slated to end on August 6, and Democrats have said they have no plans to return to the state before that. Governor Greg Abbott has announced that additional special sessions will be convened to pass his priority laws.
[ad_2]
