A circuit judge in downstate Quincy has rejected Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s petition to compel Illinois law enforcement to enforce civil warrants issued by the Texas House speaker and arrest Democrats who fled their state to block Republicans from enacting a new GOP-favored congressional map.

In his ruling, Adams County Circuit Judge Scott Larson said repeatedly that the Illinois circuit courts do not have the “inherent power” to consider the case, in part, because the warrants were issued by Texas’ legislative branch and no Texas court has issued a ruling to enforce them.

“This Illinois circuit court does not have the inherent power to initiate, consider and determine whether the actions of foreign legislators while in a special legislative session were contumaciou

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