05/17/2026
CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN:
In a recent ruling by the Texas State Supreme Court, all 9 justices said that the Democrat members of the Texas House of Representatives who fled the state in the middle of a legislative session can not be removed from office by the court.
Despite petitions filed by highly successful Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Governor Greg Abbott, who is a former state attorney general and state supreme court justice, seeking the court to remove these legislators, the court unanimously said ‘it’s not our problem’. However, one of the associate justices did acknowledge that the court could have taken action if they had been petitioned sooner, and that the court should be prepared to take action if this issue happens again in the future.
This is nothing but a pathetic judicial cop out, and another example of incompetence by Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock, the author of the opinion, who first showed that he doesn’t follow the law when he recently ruled that it was perfectly legal for the City of Dallas to deprive armed citizens who are licensed their right to exercise carrying in a city park, despite the law saying no local, county, or state government can prohibit people from lawfully carrying fi****ms in or on land owned or leased by said government that is open to the public.
This is NOT the conduct of true Republican judges, whom are supposed to follow the law as written, not look for loopholes. And, as a ranking member of this party, I am not scared to call out this hypocrisy.
Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock said penalties imposed during the 2025 walkout “barely scratched the surface” of the House’s constitutional authority.