'Lock the doors': Ken Paxton threatens to imprison Dems until they pass TX redistricting

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called on the state legislature to "lock the doors" and then arrest any Democratic lawmakers who attempted to flee the statehouse in an effort to stop Republicans from going through with redistricting plans.

"The House rules and the Senate rules both allow for these people to be arrested if they leave and ... they try to break the quorum," Paxton told MAGA influencer Steve Bannon on Thursday. "The challenge is if they go out of state, we lose jurisdiction."

"Well, when we say that, can't you get to Texas Rangers?" Bannon wondered. "How are we letting these guys, if they're leaving the state specifically for the purpose of not coming in for their elected duties, can't you stop them from leaving the state?"

"If I were the Speaker of the House, if I were leading the Senate, I'd put rules in place, depending on which group they think is going to leave," Paxton explained. "I'd put rules in place that basically lock us in until we get a vote because the House map is up on Friday."

"You could lock them in for the rest of the session — two weeks — and just serve them food there, and they sleep there, and that's just the way it is because we got to get these maps passed," he added, describing a scenario akin to imprisoning them in the statehouse.

Republicans were expected to pick up five Democratic seats if the proposed maps, released this week, are approved.

Watch the video below from Real America's Voice.