Texas Democrats are reportedly fundraising to face potential fines if they leave the state to block Republicans' push to redraw congressional districts.
The Texas Tribune reported on Tuesday that, should lawmakers leave the state to prevent the Legislature from having a quorum to function, there would be donors willing to bankroll the effort.
The outlet noted that lawmakers would face a daily $500 fine, as well as the threat of arrest. They would also need to overcome the fact that Texas House rules forbid them from using campaign coffers to pay fines, but people involved in the strategy said there is already a strategy in place. About $1 million a month would be needed to finance the move.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett said that, since there are minimal limits on external income, lawmakers can just accept donations as another salary. She added that it might not even come to that. "I think that the first step would be to make sure that there are attorneys on deck to actually challenge the legality of these rules," Crockett said.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, on his end, called for the arrest of Democrats leaving the state and offered his office to help "hunting down and compelling the attendance of anyone who abandons their office."
Democrats are using other tools at their disposal to fight against the move. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has begun deploying tens of thousands of advocates to fight against redistricting efforts.
ABC News detailed on Monday that the initiative involves 30,000 people who will make calls to "persuadable Republican Texas voters" in districts held by the GOP to discuss the initiative, already underway in a special session.
The Abbott administration says redistricting is being considered due to "constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice." Concretely, the DOJ said that four districts held by Democrats need to be redrawn due to "unconstitutional racial gerrymanders."
"Republicans know that the only way they hold onto the majority is by rigging the system but it won't work. Democrats will hold Republicans across the country accountable for their vote to rip away health care and food access and that starts with organizing from the ground up," said DNC Chair ken Martin. Comments of the kind have also been made by California Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Elisa Slotkin and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Several high-profile Democrats have also warned they will carry out similar initiatives in states they control, pledging to fight fire with fire.
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