Texas House Democrats who left their state last week during a standoff over passing a Republican-backed congressional redistricting plan that would add five new GOP-leaning seats to the state say they plan to stay away until at least Aug. 19, the end of the special legislative session.

Most of the lawmakers are staying in St. Charles, Ill., a Chicago suburb, and by fleeing the state, they denied the House a quorum and halted legislative business, including the vote on the gerrymandering plan, reports The Texas Tribune Friday.

They are facing $500-per-day fines, threats of arrest, and potential removal from committee leadership roles, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has the authority to call for repeated sessions until the measure passes.

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