The Democrats of Texas refuse to return to the state as they face threats of arrest and expulsion

Vikki Goodwin says she is not worried about the allegations of corruption, daily fines and arrest warrants against her and her Democratic colleagues from Texas who fled the state.

Goodwin is one of the dozens of Democrats in the Chamber who have turned in liberal states to refuse Texas Republicans the quorum they need to vote on a new redistribution plan, defended by President Donald Trump, in order to strengthen the republican control of the Legislative Assembly.

But even if Governor Greg Abbott does everything he can to force Democrats to come back, Goodwin says that she and her colleagues get public support every day for their self-imposed exile.

“While people learn why we do this, they too become indignant as we can bow to the President of the United States,” said Goodwin, who is in Illinois, said In this case The guest host Rebecca Zandbergen.

“The idea that we draw lines in order to choose more republican representation, I think it goes against everyone’s idea of what a real democracy is.”

Trump asks 5 more seats

Abbott has summoned a special session to vote on the redistribution bill, which should give the Republicans five additional seats and protect their close majority in the mid-term elections in next year Congress.

But he cannot adopt a bill in the house of 150 members without two thirds of the members present. The Democrats hold 62 seats in the mainly republican chamber, and at least 51 have left the state, according to a Democratic assistant.

Legislators have mainly fled to the States led by the Democrats of Illinois, New York and Massachusett.

States are required to redistinguer every 10 years depending on the Office of the American census, but the current Texas card was adopted only four years ago. Goodwin says that the process to push a new card in the middle of the cycle has been rushed and anti -democratic.

“It’s just because Trump asked, and Abbott is ready to do whatever Trump asks,” she said.

Trump, himself, did not hide his desire to strengthen republican domination in Texas.

“We are entitled to five other seats,” he told CNBC on Tuesday.

In this same interview, Trump said that Gerrymandering was going in both directions and that the legislatures led by Democrats accused the electoral legislatures of drawing electoral cards in their favor.

“They go to Illinois for security. But it’s all Gerrymandered. California is Gerrymandered. We should have many more seats in the congress,” he said.

A White House official told Reuters that Trump wanted Abbott to “do everything that is necessary” to pass the new card.

Gene Wu, president of Texas House Democratic Caucus, said that the plan is more than a takeover; It is “turbocharged racism” that will more dilute the voting power of racial minorities in the state.

The new lines would probably make more difficult for four Hispanic holders and two black holders to keep their seats in 2026, according to the Associated Press.

The Texas Republicans challenge WU’s claims, noting that the new card would create four new racial districts and increase the number of districts by a Hispanic majority by one.

‘There will be consequences’

Abbott called the Democrats who left the “Un-Texan” state and withdraws all the stops to force them.

He threatened to withdraw them from their seats for going bankrupt their obligation – something that legal experts say they are a long process, not guaranteed to work, and would require new elections to fill vacant seats.

The Chamber has also issued civil arrest mandates for absent democrats, and Abbott ordered state soldiers to find and arrest them – something that they are legally incapable of making borders of the external state.

According to house rules, each representative faces a fine of $ 500 for the United States for each day. Abbott said that any legislator who requests funds to cover these costs could face corruption accusations and promised to extradite any “potential criminal outside the state”.

“If you continue to take this route, there will be consequences,” said the representative of the House on Monday.

Asked about corruption charges, Goodwin said: “Personally, I did not take money that led me to the decision to leave the state. This is purely out of the need to protect our democracy, the need to repel against Trump. “”

As for fines, she said: “We will find a way to cover these costs.”

States led by Democrats have just fought fire with fire

The state affair quickly became national.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Governor of California Gavin Newsom and the Governor of New York Kathy Hochy – all the Democrats – have each threatened to resume their own Congress district cards if Texas advances with his plan.

But it is easier to say that does in the last two states, where the rediscuss power is based on independent commissions.

Goodwin says the tactics to wait for the Abbott special session can only work for so long. When it ends on August 19, she says, he calls a new one.

But her hope, she says, is that she and her colleagues will continue to obtain public support from the Texans of all stripes, and Abbott will be forced to abandon the bill in order to avoid endangering his re-election.

“It would be my ultimate goal,” she said. “Foreign things have happened.”

With files from the Associated Press and Reuters. Interview with Vikki Goodwin produced by Katie Geff.