Texas Democrat in Illinois says he'd leave again if Abbott calls 2nd session

So obviously being in Illinois denies the legislature a quorum

But while you're in Illinois, what other work are you and the Democratic lawmakers doing to achieve your goal of blocking the new map

Well, we also have been spending time meeting with other lawmakers in Illinois, in New York, and across this country looking for better strategies for redistricting

We really want to have a conversation about redistricting and drawing better maps

Let's have that conversation. I think the challenges, particularly with the legislation and SB4, is this is a process that's been forced down the banks of Texans and also Americans

And it's not done because the data requires it. It's being done because the president is demanding it

And the governor and Republican leadership in the Texas House is acquiescing

And this is very dangerous because it's just like opening Pandora's Fox

Once this starts, we're going to see this happen across this country

And that is what we're fighting against. That's what we do not want to see

So how long do you plan to stay in Illinois? Because as you know, the legislative session began on July 31st and it lasts 30 days

So are you going to be able to stay in Illinois until August 20th for the full 30 days

We will be here for at least the next two weeks. And what we hope is that in future special sessions, we can begin to focus on the issues that are important to Texans right now, addressing flood relief, making sure that we make ends meet

I mean, literally the cost of groceries and, you know, investing in our in our public schools

Those are so many things that we could be addressing right now that have real bipartisan solutions in place versus having the focus of this special session, which has only been today on redistricting

If you go back to Texas and Governor Abbott immediately calls another special session, what do you do then

We'll cross that bridge when we get there. I don't think the issue is calling a special session

I think it's the issue. The issue becomes this focus, this hyper focus on this premature redistricting

Again, not based on need, not based on data and not based on what Texans want, because we had our redistricting town halls across the country and also at the Capitol last Friday

An overwhelming majority of people present said no, that they did not want this happening and that they wanted to be in the control of their representatives

And so if this were to come up against you know we would have to be prepared to do this again No matter what you do at some point you have to go back to Texas So what can you do to achieve your goal beyond leaving the state

Well, again, like I mentioned, one of the most important things that we can do is raise the alarm right now

Because what the White House and the governor has tried to do was to slide this in as a quick, fast process

we held in a week's time hearings across the state in three places

And also during that time, we held a hearing in Austin. And then just over the weekend, this moved rapidly to the floor in which this was supposed to come up today

And so this process is just moving entirely too quickly. Let's call a spade a spade, this Republican power grab that's happening because Republican policies that have been put in place

family and state have not been popular. The Republicans feel there and they're trying to respond. Unfortunately, that's happening

on the backs of Black and Brown represented congressional districts that have been historically represented

by people of color. And that's important because that's what these districts that are being ripped apart, that's what they represent

In addition to the racial dynamic, just looking at representation of urban individuals versus rural, I have three of the overlapping congressional

districts that will be impacted. And in addition to each one of the current representatives have

been drawn out of their districts, you're seeing huge changes that's bringing these urban areas

that have been represented into rural spaces. So a person would possibly have to go, living in the

city of Dallas possibly go to East Texas to see their representative. And that's a huge problem

And that's something that we can't rush through. We got to do this right if we're going to do this

Governor Abbott wrote that he may try to remove and replace you and the other Democrats who fled

the state. He cited the attorney general's opinion, which relied heavily on the Texas

Supreme Court's 1873 decision, Honey v. Graham, which states abandonment is a species of resignation

But the court did make an important distinction. It said simply failing to perform the duties of

an office is not itself a form of abandonment. So with that in mind, let me ask you, what is your

intention when you left office? Did you leave with the intent to abandon

No Neither me or my colleagues had abandoned our jobs We have been working since we have left to serve our constituents

What I have been receiving, an overwhelming majority from my constituents and people from across the state and around the country

are letters and emails of appreciation for standing up against this injustice that you see that is going on

So the governor is absolutely wrong in his assessment that we are forfeiting our duties

It's actually quite the opposite. We're doubling down and doing the work that we're sent to do to our constituents

Are you prepared to mount a defense if the attorney general or a district attorney try to sue you in an attempt to remove you

Yes, absolutely. I think that you have to be ready for anything. And that's exactly what we're ready for

I think for me, I'm just taking it one day at a time and just continuing to do the work I was called to do

It's unfortunate that if we see the attorney general take these actions

But when you look at the state of Texas and the history of our attorney general and the decisions that they've made in their roles, you know that it's corrupt

you know that it you know that things are being done in a self-serving way and just to you know

fulfill a political agenda versus doing what's right for texans and that's what we need to be

doing uh right now serving the 31 million texans what's your response to accusations that you're

derelict in your duty i don't have to respond i mean my my work speaks for itself um i continue

to serve my constituents uh and do the words that i was sent to do and so the only people that hold

me account is my constituents and I am in communication with them. I have their support

and that's what I'm going to continue to work on. I can't worry about other people's opinions

The work is still getting done and we're going to continue to do that. But when it comes to

specifically redistricting and pretty much if you look at the House floor today

the call that was made was only about this bill and not about the special session

And so one would ask, why is there such a hyper fixation on this bill, on this legislation

when we should be providing flood relief, where there hasn't been a single bill introduced to the body to be able to address that

And we been present for the last two weeks of the legislative session in which any time just like this process was rushed through any time it could have been done even the governor could have executed an executive order and still can to be able to address flood relief

None of that is happening. What you are seeing is the governor and Republican leadership who continue to politicize a horrific tragedy that has taken place

in order to gain political points for saying that we broke forum and we're not doing our duties

was simply untrue. And we will continue to do the work necessary that we were sent

to do by our constituents. You face a fine of $500 a day for failing to attend the session

So if you stay there for 16 days, you could be looking at an $8,000 fine. I'm just curious

are you expecting to formally be fined that amount of money? And if so, how would you pay for it

I think anything can happen. And I'm prepared for anything. And I just, you know, continue to navigate that, you know, every day

I'm not worried about the funds. I'm worried about doing the job that I was sent here to do and serve my constituents who desperately need that leadership right now as our democracy is under attack

And then finally, you talked earlier in the interview about getting a better system nationwide for redrawing congressional districts

And you're in Illinois right now, which is one of multiple Democratic states that have more than a 20 point difference between the vote that Republicans get statewide and the number of representatives they have in that state congressional delegation

So, for instance, if Republicans receive 40% of the votes statewide, they may only have 20% of that state's congressional seats, which would indicate a big gerrymander

So how would you solve a problem when clearly across the country we already have so many states that are significantly gerrymandered

I think right now, like, this actually in and of itself is opening Pandora's locks

And that is why there's such an issue with this, because just like what we're seeing in Republican states, Democratic states are going to return in kind with these redistricting efforts, really putting our nation in a very chaotic predicament

And that is a great concern. But I'm proud of the democratic lawmakers who are coming together to really work to protect democracy