The Sconi

Scott Walker, the former Governor of Wisconsin, has commented on Texas Democrats' decision to avoid a vote by leaving the state. He drew parallels between this action and that of Wisconsin lawmakers who left the state in 2011. Walker made these remarks on X.

"The most important job of a lawmaker is to vote," said Scott K Walker. "They failed in their duty, just as Texas Democrats are failing today. They were wrong then just as they are wrong now."

In 2025, Texas Democratic lawmakers departed from the state to block a quorum on a Republican-backed mid-decade redistricting plan supported by Donald Trump. According to the Associated Press, they traveled to Illinois and New York in an effort to stall the vote, sparking national debate over issues such as redistricting, state authority, and legislative walkouts.

Wisconsin's Act 10, enacted in 2011, has reportedly saved taxpayers approximately $35.6 billion by reducing public employee benefit costs and limiting collective bargaining rights. The MacIver Institute states that these savings have reshaped public-sector labor relations and alleviated budget pressures at both state and local levels.

Legislative walkouts to break quorum have historical precedent in U.S. politics; for instance, in 2003, 11 Texas senators went to New Mexico and 51 House Democrats traveled to Oklahoma to block a GOP redistricting bill. As detailed by the Houston Chronicle, quorum was eventually restored and the maps passed—a scenario echoed in 2025.

Walker served as Wisconsin’s 45th governor from 2011–2019 after roles as Milwaukee County Executive and state assemblyman. He is noted for Act 10’s union limits, balancing a $3.6 billion deficit, cutting taxes, surviving a recall election, and later leading Young America’s Foundation.