State Rep. Alex Dominguez, D-Brownsville, said Wednesday he planned to remain at the U.S. Capitol despite the civil arrest warrants that Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan signed Tuesday evening for the 52 House Democrats who broke quorum and left the state July 12.
Dominguez is one of four Texas House Democrats from the Rio Grande Valley that said they left the state for the Capitol to protect voting rights in Texas.
The three other Valley reps, Bobby Guerra, D-McAllen, Armando “Mando” Martinez, D-Weslaco, and Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, remained mum Wednesday on their whereabouts. They did not return repeated attempts to reach them for comment as of press time.
“Given what people of all backgrounds, Black, Hispanic, Asian, women and others have endured to ensure the right to vote, an arrest warrant seems of little consequence,” Dominguez said Wednesday, adding that he and the other 51 members of the Democratic caucus had always been prepared to have an arrest warrant issued against them to try to force them to return to Austin.
Democrats left Austin, he said, because Republicans refused to negotiate in good faith on voting legislation during the regular session.
“The Republican leadership fully knows that this is voter suppression,” Dominguez said. “We’re still trying to negotiate with them and they still refuse. It let us know that the other side is not willing to play fair.”
