Texas House Fails To Meet Quorum, As Dems Face Arrest Warrants For Fleeing The State

Forbes Breaking News

5 months ago

The Texas House of Representatives met on Tuesday but failed to meet a quorum after Democrats fled the state.

Transcript

00:00The House will come to order. The following members have moved for strict enforcement.

00:05Morales of Maverick, Raymond, Martinez, Canales, Cortez, Munoz, Longoria, and Moody.

00:10Members, vote from your desk and vote for yourselves. Clerk, ring the bell.

00:30I have all members registered. I have all members registered.

00:49There being 94 members present, a quorum is not present. The House and Gallery please rise for the invocation,

00:56which will be offered by Furman Carpenter, the DPS chaplain.

01:04Let us pray.

01:08Our most heavenly Father, we are so grateful for your love, for your blessings that you blessed upon us, Father.

01:14We thank you, Father, for allowing us to be part of the United States of America,

01:19for the great citizens that it has, for the great privilege that we have of being citizens of this great country

01:23in this great state of Texas, Father.

01:26We thank you for the blessings that come with that, Father, the joy of freedom,

01:30the joy of freedom to be able to vote for the person that best represents the values that we have, Father.

01:38Father, we thank you for our legislators, Father, for each one of them, Father.

01:42We ask you to be with them as they consider their constituents, to represent them in a most excellent way.

01:48Please help them, Father, in the passing of the laws and representing their areas, Father, to do so, Father,

01:56in kindness, but very clear in their stand for their constituents and for Texas, Father.

02:01Thank you, Father, for this great special session.

02:04We ask you to be with every member of this legislature and all the admin, Father, that help work together.

02:10It's in Jesus' name that we pray.

02:12Amen.

02:13The chair recognizes the Honorable Stan Kittsman of Waller County to lead us in the pledges of allegiance to the United States and Texas flags.

02:23My colleagues and friends of Texas, please join me in the pledges to our flag.

02:29I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands,

02:36one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

02:43Honor the Texas flag.

02:45I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.

03:03Mr. Little, for what purpose?

03:05Parliamentary inquiry.

03:06State your inquiry.

03:07Mr. Speaker, isn't it true that the House Committee on General Investigating, by statute or rule,

03:13has the authority to convene regardless of whether our body has a quorum?

03:20In between adjournments, yes.

03:22Parliamentary inquiry.

03:23State your inquiry.

03:24Mr. Speaker, isn't it true that the House Committee on General Investigating has within its jurisdiction

03:28the ability to investigate members on matters of public corruption?

03:39The chair does not entertain general questions about House rules.

03:43Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

03:51Members, may I have your attention?

03:53This morning, I met with the leadership of the Texas Department of Public Safety to get a full briefing

04:01on their efforts to locate and return the members who are actively trying to thwart the legislature

04:07from performing its duties.

04:10DPS is actively working to compel their attendance after I signed their civil arrest warrants yesterday

04:16and will continue to do so until those members are back in this chamber.

04:22Today, the Disaster Preparedness Committee is meeting to consider five priority pieces of legislation.

04:30Each will address the catastrophic flooding that has devastated homes and entire communities.

04:37That's the kind of important work that is being done in the House.

04:41It is evident to the chair that DPS will need some time to work,

04:53and we will try again to make quorum on Friday.

04:56If quorum is then made, we will proceed with the very important business of this state.

05:05Members, the call of the House remains in force.

05:07Under the House rules, the House may adjourn from day to day.

05:13While I will call the House to order tomorrow and Thursday in a pro forma session,

05:17I will provide written permission to be entered in today's journal for each member

05:21who is registered here today as present to leave the chamber and return Friday at 1 p.m.

05:30Mr. Guerin moves that the House stand adjourned until 9 a.m. Wednesday.

05:34Is there objection?

05:35The chair hears none.

05:37The House stands adjourned.

Texas House Fails To Meet Quorum, As Dems Face Arrest Warrants For Fleeing The State

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