Travis County, where the state capital of Austin is located, has long been a liberal bastion within an otherwise conservative state. Brad Urrutia, a Democrat district judge in that county, recently issued a temporary restraining order preventing Governor Greg Abbott (R) from "detaining, confining, or otherwise restricting" the free movement of House Democrats within the state or issuing any warrants ordering their confinement since the legislators fled the state to prevent the quorum needed to hold a special session and vote on election integrity reform.
"It's a very sad situation that a Travis County judge thinks that you cannot arrest criminal Democrats as they might return to the state," comments Cathie Adams, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. "I'm not surprised that he would say that."
She adds that none of this would be happening now if the issue of voter integrity had been dealt with during the 2021 regular legislative session.
"It was so criminal what was going on," Adams submits. "This is an issue that should have been up front first and foremost. The governor should have made it a priority; the speaker and the lieutenant governor should have made that a number-one priority."
The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday voided the state district judge's temporary restraining order, and House lawmakers again ordered the chamber's sergeant at arms and any law enforcement officer under their direction to round up the missing Democrats "under warrant of arrest if necessary."
