Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Friday in downstate Illinois asking for an order that would return dozens of Texas Democrats who fled to Illinois to try to stop Texas Republicans from enacting new congressional maps that would give the GOP five more seats.

Paxton filed another lawsuit Friday directly to the Texas Supreme Court that seeks to have 13 of the more than 50 absent Democratic lawmakers immediately removed from office, or at least given a 48-hour warning that they must return or have their offices declared vacated.

Forty Texas Democrats left for Illinois on Sunday to deny Republicans a quorum needed during its special legislative session to approve new congressional maps. Other Texas Democrats fled to New York.

At least a dozen Texas Democrats are staying at t

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