As Texas continues to deal with the fallout of House Democrat obstruction, State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) has filed legislation that would vacate the seat of any legislator who intentionally abandons their legislative duties for more than a week.
House Bill 257, as introduced by Cain, requires that the seat of any legislator who misses seven consecutive legislative days without an approved leave of absence would be declared vacant.
“Texans deserve lawmakers who show up. I just filed HB 257 to vacate the seat of any legislator who skips 7 straight legislative days without an excused absence,” Cain wrote on X. “If you abandon your job, you don’t deserve the title.”
The legislation comes in response a day after an intentional walkout by Texas Democrats who fled the state to break quorum and block a Trump-endorsed congressional redistricting plan that would likely result in Democrats losing seats in the midterm elections.
Several Democrats have reportedly fled Texas (where they could be arrested and compelled to return to the Texas House) and taken refuge in multiple Democrat states, including California, Illinois, and New York.
In addition to Cain’s bill, Gov. Greg Abbott filed a lawsuit seeking to vacate the seat of Texas Democrat State Representative and Caucus Chair Gene Wu, who has publicly admitted to orchestrating the Democrats’ midnight getaway.
In a press release, Abbott stated that since the Democrats were not present or excused when the House reconvened on August 4, action would be taken to remove them from their seats.
“Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans, and there must be consequences,” said Abbott.
If Cain’s legislation receives two-thirds of the vote, it will take effect immediately. However, if HB 257 does not receive the necessary votes for immediate effect, it will take “effect on the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session.”
Cain’s proposal is only the opening salvo in what is expected to be a pitched battle over legislative attendance and accountability, with Republicans framing the Democrats’ efforts to block the passage of a new congressional map by depriving the Texas House of quorum as bad-faith political posturing.