Greg Abbott threatens to strip paychecks of Democratic lawmakers who walked out of state Legislature

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned Democratic lawmakers that he could strip them of their pay for walking out of the state Legislature over a voting reform bill.

“No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities. Stay tuned,” the Republican governor tweeted Monday, the day after Democratic lawmakers intentionally walked out of the legislative chamber to block a Republican-backed bill.

“I will veto Article 10 of the budget passed by the legislature. Article 10 funds the legislative branch,” he added.

Democratic members orchestrated the walkout to end the pro-forma session of the Legislature, ensuring it did not have a quorum necessary to vote on a voting reform bill. The chamber ended its legislative activity at 11 p.m. after Democrats continued to walk out of the House chamber, leaving it under the 100-member requirement.

Democratic state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer said the coordinated action was meant to send a message.

“We knew today, with the eyes of the nation watching actions in Austin, that we needed to send a message, and that message is very, very clear: Mr. President, we need a national response to federal voting rights,” he said.

The new bill, which previously cleared the state Senate, would ban drive-thru voting locations, further enable poll watchers, and add photo ID requirements for mail-in ballots. It would also criminalize the sending of election ballots to voters who haven’t asked for them.

Republicans claim the bill would ensure election integrity, while Democratic lawmakers claim it would restrict voter rights.

“We’ve said for so many years that we want more people to participate in our democracy. And it just seems that’s not the case,” said Democratic state Rep. Carl Sherman.

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A special session that would require the members to vote has been declared by the governor.

“Election integrity & bail reform were must-pass emergency items. I expect legislators to work out their differences before special session,” Abbott said in a statement.

Historically, Democrats have used similar tactics to block votes on legislation.

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In 2003, Texas House Democrats left the chamber and the state to prevent a redistricting plan.

In 2013, then-state Sen. Wendy Davis conducted a 13-hour filibuster to block a vote on a bill that limited abortion rights in the state.