Attorney General’s High-Stakes Move

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit directly with the Texas Supreme Court, targeting 13 members of the state House of Representatives. The filing seeks to have the lawmakers declared as having abandoned their seats after extended absences, a move that could fundamentally reshape the state legislature’s composition.

Paxton’s case uses quo warranto proceedings—a rarely invoked legal mechanism typically reserved for challenging an individual’s right to hold office. His petition argues that the lawmakers’ refusal to attend sessions amounts to a forfeiture of their positions, effectively creating vacancies.

“These legislators have walked away from their responsibilities and left their constituents without representation,” Paxton said in a statement. “Their deliberate absence undermines the constitutional process they swore to uphold.”

Constitutional and Legal Arguments

The lawsuit argues that while Texas law allows the minority party broad opportunities to voice