Paxton and Burrows ask Illinois court to enforce Texas arrest warrants for House Democrats

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, working in coordination with House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R–Lubbock), is asking Illinois authorities to assist in enforcing civil arrest warrants for more than 30 Texas House Democrats who fled the state earlier this week to prevent a quorum.

The civil petition, filed in an Adams County, Illinois Circuit Court, requests that Illinois recognize and enforce the warrants issued by the Texas House. Several of the absent lawmakers are currently believed to be in Illinois, while others have traveled to New York and Massachusetts.

“Texas requests and is entitled to the assistance of its sister State, the State of Illinois, to enforce the Quorum Order and Quorum Warrant as to each of the Texas House members breaking quorum and evading civil arrest in Illinois,” the filing states.

In a press release, Paxton emphasized the state’s determination:

“We are pursuing every legal remedy at our disposal to hold these rogue legislators accountable.”

The political standoff began just four days ago when more than 50 Democratic House members left Texas, many boarding flights out of state. Their departure denied the chamber the minimum number of lawmakers needed to conduct business, effectively halting a vote on a contentious new congressional map.

In response, the remaining House members voted to trigger a “call of the House,” authorizing the sergeant-at-arms to compel attendance, followed by the issuance of civil arrest warrants for the absent Democrats. Texas House rules allow such enforcement within state lines, but lawmakers cannot be forcibly returned from another state without cooperation from that state’s authorities.

House Speaker Burrows said the Illinois filing was necessary after repeated calls for the absent members to return were ignored.

“From day one, I have said that all options are on the table when it comes to making sure my colleagues who have fled the House return to fulfill their constitutional obligations,” Burrows said.

“The members who fled have been given ample time and opportunity to return on their own accord, and because they have continued to refuse their responsibilities to their constituents and return to Texas, the State has no choice but to pursue additional legal remedies.”

This is not the first time Texas Democrats have used quorum breaks as a legislative tactic. In 2021, a similar walkout over election legislation prompted Republican lawmakers to adopt new House rules in 2023, including a $500 fine for each day a member is absent without excuse.

The current situation has already begun to impact lawmakers financially. Minutes after the Illinois filing became public, Burrows issued a memo informing absent members that their monthly paychecks and daily per diem payments will no longer be deposited directly into their accounts. Instead, they must pick up checks “in person” at the Capitol — a condition impossible to meet without returning to Austin.

As the legal maneuvering unfolds, the high-stakes confrontation between Texas Republicans and quorum-breaking Democrats continues to draw national attention, with political and legal analysts watching closely to see if other states will follow Illinois in honoring Texas’ warrants.

If you want, I can also provide context on how interstate enforcement of civil arrest warrants works and why Texas might face legal hurdles in Illinois. That would explain the stakes in plain terms for readers.