In an extraordinary move brokered with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, dozens of Texas House Democrats aim to deny a quorum as the GOP is set to draw new maps.

The roughly 30 Democrats are expected to stay for the week in a plan brokered with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who had met with the Texas caucus late last month and has directed staff to provide logistical support for their stay. A news conference with the governor and Texas Democrats is expected later Sunday.

Last week, Texas Republicans released a proposed new congressional map that would give the GOP a path to pick up five seats in next year’s midterm elections. It followed President Donald Trump’s public pressure for a new map in the state as he works to retain a majority in Congress in what historically is a difficult year for the party holding the White House.

The proposed map would shift district lines in ways that would target current Democratic members of Congress in and around Austin, Dallas and Houston, as well as two already endangered Democrats representing south Texas districts that Trump carried last year.

  • dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net
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    17 hours ago

    The fact that Illinois is helping them makes it less likely the Texas rangers will kidnap them and render them back to Texas.

      • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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        16 hours ago

        Pretty sure if they tried to do anything outside of Texas the local PD would probably be justified in arresting them or even just shooting them.

            • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
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              5 hours ago

              History says they’ll side with power/authoritarian. Don’t put any faith in westernized law enforcement. Their job is to keep the workers in line. Not to question orders.

              • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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                5 hours ago

                If there is one thing that can get deputies and local PD twitchy its tribalism especially if that triablism is being agitated by someone else’s tribe. Fact of the matter is that Texas Rangers don’t have power or authority outside of Texas, and frankly speaking cops are just as aware of their paycheque as everyone else. If they work with the Texas rangers without higher approval from within the state they risk getting their pay cut for basically nothing.

                • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
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                  2 hours ago

                  They didn’t care last time. And the time before that… As long as they are going after marginalized people the local authorities will at best be passive bystanders, at worst they’ll actively help the authoritarian.

                  • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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                    2 hours ago

                    You are seeing them as a monolith they aren’t, they may be broadly aligned but if some Texas ranger started stomping around SoCal he is going to have the sheriff and whatever PD up his ass. I am under no illusion about the general corruption of such groups but they are as I said very territorial and will fight over jurisdiction. Most cops are more than willing to sit on their assess and do nothing, there’s a reason they all rush to check out some teenagers drawing knives and it’s because they have nothing better to do.

                    They gain NOTHING from helping out outside authorities unless the state is enabling them, if a protest breaks our yes they’ll be jackboots. But if alls quiet on the western front then they’ll sit on their assess and do nothing or watch porn in their squad car because that’s what my local cops do for some reason.

                    Also when I say state I don’t mean the feds, I’m pretty sure my local deputies would jump at the idea of shooting a fed.

        • MagicShel@lemmy.zip
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          16 hours ago

          Justified? Sure. I suspect “professional courtesy” would prevent any such thing, though.

          • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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            11 hours ago

            Some cops especially sheriffs can be very very territorial, plenty of them are bastards to those outside their region but are chill for those from within the region. A jumped up Texas ranger would be well within the “They aren’t gonna find your bodies” area.