Texas Democrats have busted quorum for 155 years
Why it matters: All eyes are on Democratic lawmakers Monday as they face a 3pm deadline to return to Texas or face expulsion, though attorneys say the threats of removal are largely empty.
Catch up quick: More than 50 Texas Democrats are camping out in Illinois, Massachusetts and New York, denying Republicans the numbers they need to advance their redistricting process in the state's special legislative session.
Flashback: In June 1870, 13 Texas Senate Democrats walked out to block legislation granting the governor sweeping wartime powers. The "Rump Senate" standoff set a precedent, though the bill passed anyway.
Texas lawmakers have broken quorum at least four times in modern history:
1979: 12 Democrats, dubbed the "Killer Bees," hid in a garage for four days to block legislation changing the Texas presidential primary date to favor former Gov. John Connally. Republicans dropped the bill, making it one of the few walkouts that worked.
Spring 2003: 51 House Democrats fled to Oklahoma to stall a Republican-led redistricting plan. It delayed but ultimately did not stop the legislation.
Summer 2003: 11 Senate Democrats, known as the "Texas Eleven," stayed in New Mexico for over a month to protest the same redistricting effort. They stayed until one senator returned, reestablishing quorum.
2021: More than 50 House Democrats flew to Washington D.C. to protest Republican-backed voting restrictions. They lasted six weeks and drew national attention, but could not block the law from passing.
What they're saying: "It's a messaging move," Brandon Rottinghaus, political science professor at the University of Houston, told the Texas Tribune.
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