(CNN) The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that the state House may compel the attendance of its members by civil arrest, overturning a lower court order from earlier this month. The state House speaker last week signed 52 civil arrest warrants for Democrats who are absent without excuse. The legal question before this Court concerns only whether the Texas Constitution gives the House of Representatives the authority to physically compel the attendance of absent members. The ruling stems from a petition that 19 Texas House Democrats filed in Travis County, where a state district judge issued a temporary restraining order. The all-Republican Texas Supreme Court quickly issued a temporary stay on the Democratic judge's order, pending further review.

Source: CNN August 18, 2021 01:41 UTC