A Texas Democratic lawmaker slept on the state Capitol in a single day somewhat than undergo Republican calls for that she agree to permit a state police guard guarantee her return to vote on a controversial redistricting plan ordered by President Trump.
State Rep. Nicole Collier (D-Fort Price) crashed on chairs pushed collectively on the ground of the state Home chamber in Austin as a result of she wouldn’t signal a GOP “permission slip” guaranteeing her return to a deliberate vote Wednesday on the plan to gerrymander the state’s congressional districts to flip as much as 5 Democratic seats.
“I refuse to sign away my dignity as a duly elected representative just so Republicans can control my movements and monitor me with police escorts,” Collier stated. “I know these maps will harm my constituents. I won’t just go along quietly with their intimidation or their discrimination.”
State Rep. Vince Perez (D-El Paso) stayed with Collier in a single day and Democratic minority chief Rep. Gene Wu sand others topped by to assist them. It was unclear if Collier would additionally spend Tuesday night time bunked up within the chamber.
Ruth, left, who withheld her final title, and her household protest the confinement of Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Price, outdoors the Home Chamber on the Texas Capitol in Austin, Tuesday. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman by way of AP)
Collier was a lone holdout who refused to just accept the Republican situation that they may depart the chamber provided that they accepted a round the clock state police escort to shadow them and ensure they got here again.
Dozens of Democrats fled the state earlier within the month to disclaim a quorum to majority Republicans looking for to push by the brand new maps, that are geared toward boosting the GOP edge within the state from the 25-13 cut up to as a lot as 30-8.
They agreed to finish the protest and return to Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott ended an preliminary two-week particular session, and rapidly launched a second one.
Republican Home Speaker Dustin Burrows promised swift motion and vowed to brook no extra stalling techniques from Democrats.
Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier waves to supporters outdoors of the Home Chamber the place she refuses to depart attributable to a required legislation enforcement escort, Tuesday in Austin, Texas. (Eric Homosexual/AP)
If issues go as deliberate, Republicans, who maintain a big edge in each chambers of the state legislature, might cross the invoice earlier than the top of the week over the united opposition of Democrats.
The unprecedented redistricting effort has now unfold to different Republican states with Indiana, Missouri and Ohio all planning to remove Democratic seats.
Democrats are combating again in California by shifting forward with a plan that would internet as much as 5 Democratic occasion seats there, though voters must approve the plan this November. New York may do the identical factor, though any effort must wait until 2028.
Trump desires to shore up Republicans’ slim Home majority and keep away from a wipeout within the midterms if voters insurgent towards his unpopular spending cuts and tariffs on imported client items.
As issues stand earlier than the approaching shakeups, Democrats would wish to flip simply 5 or 6 seats to retake management of the physique and probably stymie Trump’s controversial agenda. Including just a few new purple seats might make their process a lot harder.
Initially Revealed: August 19, 2025 at 1:35 PM EDT
