Texas law enforcement deputized to track down missing Democrats for arrest

Law enforcement officers in Texas were deputized Thursday to “immediately” begin tracking down Democratic lawmakers whose extended absence from Austin has denied the state House of Representatives a quorum for a month.

The House sergeant-at-arms, who received 52 civil arrest warrants for the missing lawmakers from Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan earlier this week, took the initiative after the Texas Supreme Court blocked more attempts to keep top Republican officials from ordering the Democrats’ arrest. Three Harris County judges granted orders, which the state Supreme Court stayed, to block the arrests of the 45 Democrats.