Texas House Republicans Vote to Track Down Absent Democrats, Potentially Arrest Them

Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan (R) gavels in the 87th Legislature's special session in the House chamber at the State Capitol Austin, Texas, in a file photo Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images

Texas House Republicans on Tuesday voted to track down and possibly arrest absent Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to avoid voting on an election bill.

House Speaker Dade Phelan, in a statement from the Texas Capitol floor, said that “members, the sergeant-at-arms and the officers appointed by him are directed to send for all absentees whose attendance is not excused for the purpose of securing and maintaining their attendance—under warrant of arrest, if necessary.”