More than 50 Texas House Democrats fled the state earlier this month to avoid a quorum after Texas Governor Abbott called for a special session to redistrict the state’s congressional districts to add up to 5 GOP seats. In response, Republican state leaders issued civil arrest warrants and even sued to try to expel the Democratic Caucus chair. After the first special session adjourned, Abbott called for another special session and the Democrats, including State Rep. Nicole Collier, decided to return to Austin. There was one catch: House Speaker Dustin Burrows ordered the Democrats to sign a slip of paper on Monday, stating they would only be given permission to leave the floor in the custody of Texas law enforcement and under the condition that they return for Wednesday’s session.
Despite already being away from her three young children for the weeks when she was out of state exercising her constitutional right to deny a quorum, Rep. Collier refused to sign such a “permission slip.” In an interview with NPR, Collier explained, “I’m not a criminal. I have not done anything wrong…And what they have asked is for members to agree to be released into the custody of DPS (Texas Dept. of Public Safety). It’s not just an escort. It’s “in the custody,” as if we have committed some type of crime, to fulfill their political theater.”
Photo: NicoleCollier95: https://x.com/NicoleCollier95/status/1957770013449789870
She spent 58 straight hours in the Statehouse, unable to leave, even sleeping at her desk despite the lights remaining on through the night. By doing so, she reminded all of us in her words: “You have a right to challenge government. And when you start silencing the voices of those people who disagree, then we are moving further away.”
As expected, the Texas House passed the redistricted maps Wednesday, and on Friday the Texas Senate used a procedural motion to break a proposed filibuster and passed the new maps early Saturday morning. The next fight, at least over the Texas maps, will be in the courts as a lawsuit has already been filed that argues that redrawing districts mid-decade is unconstitutional.
We applaud Rep. Collier, along with her fellow representatives who left the state, for calling attention across the country to the unfair and anti-democratic actions of the Texas GOP.