AP By PAUL J. WEBER and ACACIA CORONADO 8/11/2021
Texas Republicans enlisted the help of law enforcement for the first time Thursday to force the return of Democratic legislators who fled the state a month ago to block new voting restrictions.
The move, a significant escalation in the holdout, came a day after officers of the Texas House of Representatives served civil arrests warrants to the offices of more than 50 Democrats who have not retuned to the Capitol since fleeing for Washington, D.C., on July 12. Some have returned to Texas but remain absent from the state House of Representatives.
“Earlier today the House Sergeant-at-Arms deputized members of Texas law enforcement to assist in the House’s efforts to compel a quorum. That process will begin in earnest immediately,” said Enrique Marquez, a spokesman for Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan.
He did not say which law enforcement agencies were involved or what measures they would take, but Democrats have acknowledged the possibility of facing arrest and have spent days petitioning courts in Texas for orders that would prevent them from being forced to return to the Capitol.
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https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-texas-voting-voting-rights-filibusters-dd028dc0dcf06e9e38c64dd51109b43f
