Texas Democrat fears 'rural cop' retaliation for fleeing state

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At least two Texas Democrats return from D.C. after protesting GOP voting bill

Texas State Representative Harold Dutton Jr. on returning home from the group of Democratic lawmakers that fled to Washington D.C. to protest a GOP election reform bill.

A Texas state representative smeared Texas Republicans and rural state troopers, saying he feared they, or "fanatic[s] of the Republican Party" were under the bidding of Governor Greg Abbott, and would "round up" Texas democrats who fled the state to avoid voting on election legislation.

On Sunday, Texas State Representative Jarvis D. Johnson spoke on MSNBC’s "The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart" to discuss the recent actions of the Texas Democrats, who fled their state to Washington D.C. in order to avoid voting on an election reform bill.

Capehart asked Johnson to discuss a warning he gave his own son not to drive in Texas for fear of "retaliation."

"And one of the things you told me is that you have told your son to not drive in Texas, because of your concern about retaliation on the part of Governor Abbott against you. Can you just talk a little bit about that?" Capehart asked.

Johnson responded that he feared Texas Governor Greg Abbott would "round us up" and "corral us up" based on the governor's announcement that the representatives could be arrested upon their return to the state.

TEXAS DEMOCRATS TO REMAIN IN WASHINGTON THROUGHOUT SPECIAL SESSION 

"The governor put out the call and he said that he was going to round us up and corral us up and bring us back. And we've watched all across this country when there's a leader that does something like this, that there are people in their party that will take this and run with it," Johnson said.

"And so, my son drives my car, which has state plates. And I just don’t want some rural cop, or some fanatic of the Republican Party that listens to Governor Abbott, as they say they need to bring us back because we're fugitives."

Abbott previously stated that the Democrats who fled the state would be arrested upon their return to Texas. However, the arrest can only be made within the state. The Democrats later stated that they would remain in Washington D.C. through the last two weeks of the special session called by the governor to pass the election bill.

Johnson later said his fears were based on race, and that he was concerned a Republican would "act as the hero" to round up someone like his son.

"Because we do understand, I understand, what relationships are with police officers and black males, and I do know what's going on with most of the Republican Party, when they want to take the law into their own hands and act as the hero and say, 'we rounded one up,’" Johnson said.

Capehart responded "Wow!"

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The Texas Democrats were widely criticized for their actions in fleeing the state, most notably with a widely panned photo of many state representatives riding maskless on a private plane. The photo was later criticized when it was revealed that six of the Democrats traveling to Washington D.C. contracted the coronavirus.