Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
6d ago

Illinois Court Denies Texas’ Bid to Enforce Quorum Warrants

Judge Scott Larson ruled that Illinois courts lack the jurisdiction to compel enforcement of Texas civil warrants, leaving Republicans to pursue additional special sessions or other legal measures to restore quorum.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaking during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) meeting on February 23, 2024, in National Harbor, Maryland.

Overview

  • Judge Scott Larson concluded that Illinois circuit courts do not have the inherent power to enforce Texas civil quorum warrants on legislators outside state boundaries.
  • Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dustin Burrows filed the petition in Illinois, naming 33 Democrats reported to be staying at a secure hotel in St. Charles.
  • More than 50 Texas House Democrats remain in Illinois and other states, denying a quorum and stalling a Republican-backed mid-decade congressional map that could create additional GOP U.S. House seats.
  • Governor Greg Abbott and Speaker Burrows have vowed to call repeated special legislative sessions or explore other legal actions to compel the absent lawmakers’ return.
  • Legal experts say the ruling underscores the narrow scope of civil legislative warrants and the challenges of enforcing them beyond the issuing state’s borders.