Republican Senator John Cornin of Texas says the FBI has approved his request for federal law enforcement to help locate Texas Democratic senators that left the state to block GOP redistricting efforts. An administration official told NBC News earlier this week that there were no plans to use federal agents to arrest lawmakers that had left Texas. The official said Governor Greg Abbott quote can handle his own state.A federal law enforcement official familiar with the situation told NBC News that as of yest ...

Neither Texas nor uh the FBI at the federal level have the ability to arrest these Texas Democrats who are breaking quorum. They just don't. Uh there is no legal precedent for that.There's no law on the books that would allow them to do that. Uh so, as you know, I've been saying uh you know, they're all allowed to visit Chicago or Illinois, but uh they won't be taking anybody home with them. Today, the Republican Senator John Cornin of Texas announced that the FBI agreed to help locate the Democratic Texas ...

New York Governor Kathy Hulkcom, who hosted Texas Democrats in Albany this week, writes in the Houston Chronicle, quote, "What Texas Republicans are doing under Trump's direction is nothing short of a legal insurrection on our capital. But using a legal system doesn't make it legitimate. It's a hijacking of democracy and it must be stopped." Governor Kathy Hulcom of New York joins us now. Yeah. So, Governor, just to underscore something Michael said that there is no federal crime that all of a sudden these ...

So, Governor, you've now you've waited into a national gerrymandering fight, a partisan political battle at a pitched fever level. What do you see when it comes to New York. You can't actually do anything to redistrict until 2028.So, is your role in this more symbolic and fighting with Democrats since nothing can really come of it for several years unless something happens at the state house. I mean to not engage in this fight. If we don't fight for our democracy, we're doomed to lose it.That's how high the ...

We want to turn now to new developments out of Texas as Republicans seek to pressure Democratic representatives to return to Austin. Texas Republican Senator John Cornin says the FBI has agreed to his request to assist Texas law enforcement in locating the Democrats who fled the state to block the start of a special legislative session and a Trumpbacked plan to draw new lines for the state's congressional districts. Now, it's unclear what authority the FBI actually has to compel members to return to Texas.I ...

Apparently, it's happening. Texas Senator John Cornin is now confirming that the FBI is officially on board to track down the Texas Democrats who left the state in an attempt to block Republicans redistricting efforts. It's only the latest escalation in a fight that's now reaching a national boiling point.Democrats have faced bomb scares, a threat from the president himself, and a new investigation from the state's attorney general, but they are holding the line. What we're going to have to do is go into bl ...

Breaking news on GOP efforts to redraw the congressional map in Texas. Senator John Cornin now says the FBI has granted his request to help state law enforcement track down those Democratic lawmakers who left the state to prevent a quorum vote on redistricting this week. Let's go to NBC News chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles now.Ryan, first off, why is Senator Cornin getting involved. Well, I think Senator Cornin would tell you because he thinks that these Democratic lawmakers are standing in the ...

The last word with Lawrence O'Donnell starts right now. Hey, Lawrence. >> Hey, Jaden.Thank you very much. We have uh so much to get to tonight with the breaking news, especially about what's going on uh with the Texas legislature. Zo Laughron's going to join us with the California response to all this.Gavin Newsome saying we're going to fight fire with fire. We'll find out what the California plan is. >> Can't wait to hear about it.We love the fire. >> Thanks, Jen. >> Thanks, Lis.>> Thank you. We're not mee ...

Welcome back. Turning to Texas with new developments on the redistricting showdown that's playing out in the Lonear State and all across the country. Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott filed an emergency petition with the Texas Supreme Court to remove House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Woo from his seat.Now, Woo is one of dozens of Texas Democrats who fled the state to block the start of a special legislative session and a Trumpbacked plan to draw new lines for the state's congressional districts. Abbott ...

Democratic governors are taking off the gloves in response to Texas Republicans redistricting plan. But to what end. Might sound good to Democratic voters, but it's actually harder to do than it sounds.And that's because of Democrats own efforts to make maps more fair. Literally, they created nonpartisan commissions to try to keep politics and politicians out of this process. It's great in theory, but here's the irony.Now, it includes states like California. We're going to fight fire with fire. And unlike i ...