Latest Breaking News

LetMyPeopleVote

(169,744 posts) Tue Aug 5, 2025, 06:40 PM Aug 5

Gov. Abbott takes emergency action seeking removal of Texas Democrat Rep. Gene Wu

Source: CBS

AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott took emergency action Tuesday in an effort to remove Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu from office, calling him the "ringleader" of lawmakers who fled the state to deny quorum during a special legislative session.

Abbott filed an emergency petition with the Texas Supreme Court requesting a "writ of quo warranto," which is used to determine if a person has the legal right to hold public office.

"If a small fraction of recalcitrant lawmakers choose to run out the clock today, they can do so for any, and every, Regular or Special Session, potentially bankrupting the State in an attempt to get their way," the petition said. "...The rarely used writ of quo warranto exists to solve rare problems such as this."

Abbott argues Wu and other absent Democrats have "abandoned their official duties" by refusing to attend the special session.

"Representative Wu and the other Texas House Democrats have shown a willful refusal to return, and their absence for an indefinite period of time deprives the House of the quorum needed to meet and conduct business on behalf of Texans," Abbott said.
The governor warned Sunday that if Democrats were not present when the House reconvened Monday at 3 p.m., he would seek their removal. The Democrats remained absent Tuesday.

Read more: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/gov-abbott-takes-emergency-action-seeking-removal-of-texas-democrat-rep-gene-wu

Link to tweet

12 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Gov. Abbott takes emergency action seeking removal of Texas Democrat Rep. Gene Wu (Original Post) LetMyPeopleVote Aug 5 OP

Texas redistricting: Gov. Greg Abbott filed petition in Texas Supreme Court seeking ouster of Gene Wu LetMyPeopleVote Aug 5 #1

"We're trying to end democracy here and this impudent little sot bucolic_frolic Aug 5 #2

Here is a link to Greg's filing LetMyPeopleVote Aug 5 #3

Only Abbott BidenRocks Aug 5 #4

Greg Abbott is the one who needs to be removed, he is straight abusing his power! Initech Aug 5 #5

Houston City Attorney, Christian Menefee, on this stupid filing LetMyPeopleVote Aug 5 #6

the "Legal Right" to hold office? slightlv Aug 5 #7

The Texas Governor's a Tyrant. rickyhall Aug 5 #8

Texas Attorney General Paxton says Gov Abbott is out of his lane in seeking to remove Democrats from office LetMyPeopleVote Aug 6 #9

They're just taking a vacation and none of them have not indicated their intention or interest in leaving office. cstanleytech Aug 6 #10

I hope Joe is Texas' next attorney general LetMyPeopleVote Aug 6 #11

Democracy Docket-Texas Texas Republicans Clash Over Lawsuit Removing Top Democrat From Office LetMyPeopleVote Aug 6 #12

LetMyPeopleVote

(169,744 posts)

1. Texas redistricting: Gov. Greg Abbott filed petition in Texas Supreme Court seeking ouster of Gene Wu

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Tue Aug 5, 2025, 06:42 PM

Aug 5

Link to tweet

bucolic_frolic

(52,385 posts)

2. "We're trying to end democracy here and this impudent little sot

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Tue Aug 5, 2025, 06:46 PM

Aug 5

stands in our way!"

LetMyPeopleVote

(169,744 posts)

3. Here is a link to Greg's filing

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Tue Aug 5, 2025, 07:07 PM

Aug 5

This is a quo warranto filing directly in the Texas supreme court
https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/In_re_Abbott_Petition_%28FINAL%29_-_Filed.pdf

BidenRocks

(2,188 posts)

4. Only Abbott

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Tue Aug 5, 2025, 07:33 PM

Aug 5

I want to push him in his chair off a cliff.

Evil bastard!

Initech

(106,283 posts)

5. Greg Abbott is the one who needs to be removed, he is straight abusing his power!

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Tue Aug 5, 2025, 08:00 PM

Aug 5

Fuck him and fuck his boss Rupert Murdoch! He does not own the United States government!

LetMyPeopleVote

(169,744 posts)

6. Houston City Attorney, Christian Menefee, on this stupid filing

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Tue Aug 5, 2025, 08:16 PM

Aug 5

Christian is the current City of Houston attorney and is running for Congress. Christian is a good lawyer

Link to tweet

Texas lawyer here.

I read the brief. It’s astonishingly stupid. For many reasons.

But start here:

- Breaking quorum is a well-established political tool used by both parties. It’s not abandonment (no one is permanently giving up their duties). It’s a strategy within a voting body to impact a potential … vote.

- We know what bribery is. It’s influence peddling. Not fundraising from the public to cover travel/fines (standard political activity).

These arguments are deeply unserious.

slightlv

(6,557 posts)

7. the "Legal Right" to hold office?

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Tue Aug 5, 2025, 10:38 PM

Aug 5

Was the representative not elected by a majority of his constituents?

When the republicans fled to stymie the democrats, were warrants and call-outs such as this considered and made front page news?

And I find the whole question absurd in relation to the commitment this man has towards DJT, who absolutely was NOT eligible to run for president (as per the Constitution), no matter what the SCOTUS said in its pretzel logic.

Texas... how far you've fallen into fascism. I still have family and friends there, and it will always have a piece of my heart after living their decades. But for now, that little piece of my heart breaks each time abbot or paxton open their mouths.

rickyhall

(5,483 posts)

8. The Texas Governor's a Tyrant.

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Tue Aug 5, 2025, 11:01 PM

Aug 5

LetMyPeopleVote

(169,744 posts)

9. Texas Attorney General Paxton says Gov Abbott is out of his lane in seeking to remove Democrats from office

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2025, 01:22 AM

Aug 6

Link to tweet

https://quorumreport.com/quorum_report_daily_buzz_2025/texas_attorney_general_paxton_says_gov_abbott_is_o_buzziid32797.html

“This 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.”

cstanleytech

(27,940 posts)

10. They're just taking a vacation and none of them have not indicated their intention or interest in leaving office.

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2025, 02:13 AM

Aug 6

LetMyPeopleVote

(169,744 posts)

11. I hope Joe is Texas' next attorney general

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2025, 08:38 AM

Aug 6

Link to tweet

LetMyPeopleVote

(169,744 posts)

12. Democracy Docket-Texas Texas Republicans Clash Over Lawsuit Removing Top Democrat From Office

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Wed Aug 6, 2025, 06:14 PM

Aug 6

This will be fun to watch. Abbott requested/demanded that the Texas Supreme Court ruled on this motion by Thursday. The Texas Supreme Court is giving Wu until Friday to file. I suspect that Paxton will also be filing a motion

Link to tweet

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/texas-republicans-clash-over-lawsuit-removing-top-democrat-from-office/

Not only are Texas Republicans fighting back against Democrats who left the state to block a vote on the GOP’s congressional map – they’re also battling one another. Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton both want the courts to remove Democrats from office and declare their seats vacant, but they are sparring publicly over how to do it.

Abbott filed an emergency petition Tuesday directly with the Texas Supreme Court, asking justices to declare state Rep. Gene Wu’s seat vacant. The filing signaled a dramatic escalation in the battle over Republicans’ redistricting plan, which aims to create five additional GOP seats in Congress. It also set off an unusual public showdown between Paxton and Abbott, with Paxton arguing the governor did not have the authority to bring the lawsuit, and Abbott doubling down on his ability to file the petition......

Shortly after Abbott filed the motion, Paxton’s office took the unusual step of sending a letter to the Texas Supreme Court claiming Abbott did not, in fact, have the authority to file the lawsuit.

“While the Attorney General appreciates the Governor’s passion for ensuring the Texas House reestablishes the quorum that is necessary to discharge the important business of the Legislature,” Solicitor General William R. Peterson wrote, “this 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.”

Peterson suggested Abbott had jumped the gun on taking legal action and said Paxton will wait until Friday to pursue a quo warranto proceeding, in alignment with a deadline the Texas House speaker gave Democratic lawmakers for returning to the Capitol.

Abbott’s office quickly responded with a letter of their own to the court. Rather than backing off, Abbott – who formerly served as Texas attorney general and as a Texas Supreme Court justice – doubled down on his position.

“At least 500 years of common law and more recent Texas Supreme Court precedent make clear that quo warranto proceedings may be initiated by relators other than the Attorney General,” the letter said......

Setting aside the conflict between Abbott and Paxton, the Texas Supreme Court requested late Tuesday that Wu file a response to Abbott’s petition by end of day Friday.

Reply to this discussion