Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken action in the Supreme Court of Texas regarding the quo warranto petition filed by Governor Greg Abbott against runaway Democrat Representative Gene Wu.
Attorney General Paxton has led the fight to hold the runaway Democrats accountable for breaking quorum and preventing the Legislature from addressing major issues facing Texas. Pursuant to the authority invested in the Office of the Attorney General by Texas law, Attorney General Paxton announced that he will pursue judicial orders declaring that House members who fail to return to the state by the deadline set by Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows have vacated their seats. Attorney General Paxton has asked the Texas Supreme Court not to dismiss the Governor’s filing until the Speaker’s deadline, when the Attorney General can be heard on this important issue.
“Texas is taking every available avenue to force runaway Democrats to return to Texas and hold them accountable for breaking quorum,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Under the Texas Constitution and Texas law, the Office of the Attorney General has the legal authority to bring these cases against the renegade House members. I have alerted the Texas Supreme Court that I will be making additional filings on Friday if the Democrats continue to abandon their legislative duties.”
The letter explained: “[T]his Court’s precedent is clear that a ‘quo warranto’ proceeding ‘can only be brought by the attorney general, a county attorney, or a district attorney.’ In re Dallas County, 697 S.W.3d 142, 152 (Tex. 2024) (orig. proceeding). Further, the Constitution charges ‘the Attorney General’ with the obligation ‘to represent the State in all suits and pleas in the Supreme Court of the State in which the State may be a party.’ … As a result, the Court should not dismiss the Governor’s petition until the Speaker’s Friday deadline passes and the Attorney General can be heard on these weighty issues.”
To read the letter, click here.