A committee of the Texas House of Representatives voted late Friday afternoon to impose financial penalties totaling nearly $422,000 on Democratic House members who broke quorum last August to try to prevent the Republican-led Legislature from passing a controversial mid-decade congressional redistricting plan.
The GOP-led Committee on House Administration imposed $303,000 in fines on the 50-plus Democratic members for being absent without leave during the first and second special sessions of the 89th Legislature. The committee assessed an additional $118,889.81 penalty to reimburse the Texas Department of Public Safety for expenses incurred in trying to compel those members to return to the chamber.
Under House rules, the members being penalized may not use political fundraising in order to pay the fines or reimbursement expenses — in this case more than $8,000 per member.
The committee voted 6-5 along party lines, under a motion by state Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, the committee chair, after taking testimony in executive session for more than six hours. Geren made no statement other than to read out the terms of the motion.
Several Democrats on the committee gave closing statements before the final vote. State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, pointed to Republican rhetoric against Democrats during the quorum break — including threats by Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to force the expulsion from office of Democrats who had fled the state.
"Americans just like us from both sides of the aisle have been murdered over politics in the past year,” Moody said. “We can’t play any part in bringing that to Texas. If we do, one day, we’ll be sitting in a room like this, talking about the death of someone we worked with, someone we looked in the eye and broke bread with, and yes, sometimes disagreed with. When that happens, no amount of political points will have been worth it."
State Rep. Sheryl Cole. D-Austin, vice chair of the committee, made several unsuccessful attempts to amend Geren's motion to eliminate or reduce the penalties. All were voted down along party lines.
"Under the U.S. and Texas Constitution," Cole said, "these proposed fines ... can only be levied pursuant to the House's legitimate authority and after due process. That means advance notice of what is being threatened and a meaningful opportunity to defend oneself. But this committee process has not followed these constitutional mandates."
The vote came more than eight months after 52 Democratic members walked out to protest a redrawing of the state's congressional boundaries at the behest of President Donald Trump and Abbott, with the aim of flipping five Democrat-held seats to the Republican column in the 2026 midterm elections.
Most of the Democratic House members remained outside the state for more than two weeks, from Aug. 2-17. Their departure left the Republican-led House without the minimum number of members required to conduct business. It also drew national attention.
The House Democrats finally agreed to return when the Democrat-led government of California unveiled a plan to redraw its own congressional map — with the aim of flipping five Republican-held congressional seats to Democratic control, counteracting the Texas plan. The Texas Legislature passed its redistricting plan shortly after the Democrats returned.
Several other states, under the leadership of both major parties, weighed or adopted plans to redistrict as well, leaving it far from clear whether the entire exercise would benefit either Democrats or Republicans.
In a statement, state Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said the caucus was looking at options to respond.
"The House can enforce its rules, and members can use constitutional tools when our constituents' representation is under attack," Wu said. "But if leadership is going to impose thousands of dollars in personal penalties, it has to provide timely notice, transparent records and a meaningful chance to respond. That did not happen today."
