Matt Shaheen, a Republican member of the Texas State House representing the 66th district since 2015, has used his social media platform to address legislative actions and criticism against Democratic lawmakers in Texas.
On September 4, 2025, Shaheen posted that he had passed legislation targeting Democrats who left the state to prevent a quorum. He stated, “I passed Legislation to punish Derelict Democrats for breaking quorum. There’s a price to pay for betraying Texas!”
The following day, on September 5, 2025, Shaheen elaborated on the consequences for those lawmakers. He wrote, “Derelict Democrats who abandoned their constituents face fines of more than $9,000 each, & can’t use campaign funds to pay. There’s a price for betraying Texas.”
Later that same day, Shaheen criticized Democratic policies regarding public safety. In his post he said, “Failed liberal Democrat policies are responsible for the vast majority of murders. Democrats have no intention of solving the problem they created.”
The comments from Shaheen follow previous instances where Democratic members of the Texas legislature left the state in an effort to block legislation by denying a quorum—a minimum number of legislators required to conduct official business. The move prompted debate over legislative procedures and partisan divisions within the state.
Shaheen was first elected to represent Texas’ 66th House district in 2015 after succeeding Van Taylor.
