The fallout continues from Texas House Democrats’ quorum-busting trip out-of-state. One sign: an arrest warrant, signed by House Speaker Dade Phelan for state Rep. Philip Cortez.
Cassi Pollock, politics reporter for The Texas Tribune, notes the speaker singled out Rep. Cortez because he briefly returned home, “in an attempt at negotiations with Republicans on the GOP election bill that prompted the quorum bust.”
While provocative, Pollock says the warrant is “not likely to have any impact since Texas law enforcement lacks jurisdiction outside of the state,” and Rep. Cortez had since returned to Washington D.C.
Also this week, a federal judge tossed out an affirmative action lawsuit against the University of Texas.
“The judge found that the group behind the suit had essentially brought the same claims in a previous case,” Pollock said.
The federal judge in this case “pointed back to a prior Supreme Court ruling” that tossed that previous, similar case out.
Additionally, Jake Ellzey scored an upset win over Susan Wright in a closely-watched special congressional election. The North Texas race filled the seat of late Congressman Ron Wright – Susan Wright is his widow – who died earlier this year following complications from cancer and COVID-19.
Pollock says Wright was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
“Ellzey, meanwhile, was relying on support from former Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw,” Pollack said.
That support that was enough to pull him over the finish line.
Listen to our recap of the week in Texas politics in the audio player above.
