The runup to Paxton impeachment vote could have been a circus; to Texas' credit, it wasn't

AUSTIN — If Ken Paxton was expecting an outpouring of outrage when he called on conservatives to "peacefully" protest when the Texas House was to consider his impeachment, the now-suspended Republican attorney general was disappointed.

So too was the Texas Democratic Party when it called for packing the House gallery to signal approval for the process.

One day before the historic impeachment debate and vote, Paxton called reporters to his office building a few hundred yards west of the Capitol. He took no questions and did not directly address the 20-count articles of impeachment. But he did ask supporters to turn out on his behalf and let Republican House members know they'd pay a political price if they voted to move the process along.

It was reminiscent, but well short, of the "will be wild" claim of former President Donald Trump that led to the more-wild-than-anyone-had-fathomed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, ahead of Congress asserting once and for all that Democrat Joe Biden had won the election two months earlier.

It's fair to note that Paxton was in Washington on Jan. 6 to show support for Trump and to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Biden's victory, but he was not among the Capitol-storming insurrectionists.

A couple of hours after Paxton spoke, the state Democratic Party blasted out its "pack the gallery" email. Like the attorney general, the Democrats were quick to mention that any gathering should remain peaceful.

More: Overwhelming GOP support helped Texas House impeach AG Ken Paxton. Senate trial is next.

But anytime the Red Team and Blue Team suit up for the same event, the potential for something other than tranquility is possible.

And that possibility was on the minds of many reporters, both the ones permanently assigned to the Capitol and those dispatched to Austin from other markets around the state, when they showed up to watch the events in the House play out on what was the first morning of the three-day Memorial Day weekend.

To be sure, on the day of the vote, there were plenty of people strolling the bucolic Capitol grounds and taking in the atmosphere of the grand domed building. And by and large they were just as peaceful as peaceful can be. That's because nearly all of them were tourists from all around Texas, and perhaps all around the world.

If they had any concerns about the travails of Ken Paxton, most kept them to themselves.

Once the impeachment debate got started, the House gallery was crowded. But the unbridled chaos that often accompanies debates on such hot-button issues as abortion and immigration never materialized.

Speaker Dade Phelan reminded both the state representatives and the visitors that he'd brook no outbursts, no name-calling, no cheering and no booing. And aside from a smattering of muted applause here and there, pretty much everyone heeded Phelan's preemptive admonition.

More: Texas AG Ken Paxton calls push for impeachment 'deceitful' ahead of House vote Saturday

And as the debate played out on the House floor, it was soon apparent that the topic in question was not a simple Red Team vs. Blue Team affair. Even though Trump himself used his social media platforms to support Paxton and to denigrate the impeachment as "very unfair," and even though he promised House Republicans that "I will fight you" if they went along with the effort to remove the attorney general, 60 GOP members did not cow to the threat.

All but one Democrat did vote to impeach. But the one who did not, Houston's Harold Dutton, abstained on grounds that the process was rushed and that too little firsthand evidence against Paxton was presented to the House.

Once the 121-23-2 vote was taken, the House gallery emptied with little fanfare. Some supporters of Paxton and some who wanted him gone stopped to chat with the bank of reporters and photographers assembled in the lobby outside of the chamber.

Most gave reasoned responses, whether they came away satisfied or let down. There were no mass marches, and no elected officials took to the Capitol steps to make celebratory speeches or to stir up anger.

What had just transpired had only occurred twice before in Texas history. The most recent was in 1977 when a judge was ousted from office, the other 106 years ago when Gov. James Ferguson was removed.

Any effort to remove an official who was duly elected by the voters is a serious matter. And at the Texas Capitol on a pleasant holiday weekend, it was taken seriously.

John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at jmoritz@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @JohnnieMo.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Thankfully, Paxton impeachment vote taken without a circus or sideshow