“Nearly two dozen Texas House Democrats who fled the state last month have sued Gov. Greg Abbott and other GOP officials, alleging their efforts to bring them back to the state Capitol for a special legislative session infringed on their constitutional rights. The 22 plaintiffs have been ‘deprived of liberty for substantial periods of time, suffered much anxiety and distress over separation from their families, and much discomfort and embarrassment,’ the complaint alleges.”
“Abbott, House Speaker Dade Phelan and State Rep. James White are all named as defendants in the case. The lawsuit alleges that the three Republicans have ‘by public statements and otherwise, to attempt to deny, coerce, threaten, intimidate, and prevent’ the Democrats and constituents from voting in elections, speaking publicly about their constitutional rights, and their right to not being arrested without probable cause. The suit comes after Abbott called for the arrests of more than 50 Texas House Democrats who fled the state in July for Washington, D.C., in a bid to stop a Republican-backed voter integrity bill from passing in a special legislative session. It was the second time that Texas Democrats staged a walkout on the voting bill, and left the state’s House of Representatives without a quorum to pass the bill” – Fox News.