Abbott Says House Speaker Could Arrest Missing Texas Democrats
Imagine how many clicks a photo of all the missing Texas Democrats locked up in jail cells would get after a day or two. While it may be worth a laugh to some, this scenario seems very unlikely. This isn't the first walkout in recent years. The ones getting the short end of the stick in all this will probably just end up being the residents/taxpayers of the State of Texas.
Governor Abbott says the Texas House Should Call for Arrests
While it's a long shot, Governor Abbott has already suggested that the Speaker of the Texas House call for the arrest of missing state Democrats who walked out of a special session this week. Abbott said in the video below that the missing Democrats should be arrested the moment they step back into Texas and be "cabined in the Texas Capital until the job gets done." Abbott is fired up after yet another walkout by Democrats is preventing the state from advancing what he calls bail reform and election integrity. Abbott's comments can be heard in the video below.
What are Governor Abbot's Options Now?
In addition to suggesting that the Speaker of the Texas House call for the arrest of its missing members, Abbott is assuring Texans that he will just continue to call for a special session after special session leading all the way up to the 2022 election if he has to. In the end, this scenario likely hurts all Texans as we continue to have our time and taxpayer dollars spent on these sessions when they should not have been needed in the first place.
The Clock is Ticking
According to the Governor's comments during his interview with KVUE (transcript available here), he still believes there is more than enough time to work through the current agenda. Abbott says bills that aim to improve property taxes, child foster care, retirement for educators, and addressing issues with law enforcement are all still on the table with bail reform and election reform. Abbott points out that these issues are things that are of concern to the constituents of individuals like Rep. [Vikki] Goodwin, Rep. [James] Talarico, and Rep. Weiner who are all missing. Abbott reminds the vacationing Democrats that they all risk losing their jobs in multiple ways by not showing up for work.