State Rep. Nicole Collier, a Fort Worth Democrat, is prepared to stay at the Texas Capitol around-the-clock after declining law enforcement monitoring upon her return to Austin.
Collier remained on the House floor late into Monday night, as a livestream started by the House Democratic Caucus drew tens of thousands of views around 10:45 p.m.
Collier is among the Texas House Democrats who broke quorum to block mid-decade congressional redistricting. She and at least 51 other lawmakers left the Capitol to block a map that opponents say would disenfranchise voters and position Republicans to gain five seats in Congress.
The majority of Democratic lawmakers returned to Austin on Monday for a second called special session that comes as California, led by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, considers redrawing its map to favor Democrats in response to the redistricting effort in Texas. The Golden State’s plan brought the Texas Democrats back to the Capitol, as they turn their fight to the House floor and possible legal challenges to a map, if adopted as expected given the Legislature’s Republican majority.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows told lawmakers that members who broke quorum could only leave the House chamber upon agreeing in writing to be released into the custody of a Texas Department of Public Safety officer tasked with ensuring their return when the House reconvenes at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
The Star-Telegram observed Democratic lawmakers being monitored by designated officials. The requirement comes after the House approved two motions on Friday related to maintaining quorum.
“When we adjourn today, doors to this chamber shall remain locked, and only those members with appropriate permission may leave,” Burrows said.
Collier, in a text message to the Star-Telegram, said she “did not agree to sign their permission slip to have a DPS officer assigned to follow me around” and said she is not free to leave the Capitol. She had planned to return on Wednesday when the House gavels in, but is prepared to stay at the Capitol until then.
She did not immediately respond to texts asking whether she could go to her office in the Capitol, but told a reporter with NBC that was allowed later Monday.
“My constituents sent me to Austin to protect their voices and rights,” Collier said in a statement sent by the Texas House Democratic Caucus. “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. My community is majority-minority, and they expect me to stand up for their representation. When I press that button to vote, I know these maps will harm my constituents — I won’t just go along quietly with their intimidation or their discrimination.”
The Texas House Democratic Caucus called her a “detained political prisoner” in a Monday news release and said House Democrats support her right to protest. They called on Republican leadership to “immediately cease this unprecedented detention of a sitting legislator and reopen the galleries to restore public access and transparency to legislative proceedings.”
While Collier was among the lawmakers on the House floor Monday afternoon, she wasn’t among the 120 lawmakers marked as present when roll call was taken and quorum was met.
There are 150 members of the Texas House but at least 100 — a quorum — must be present to conduct business on the House floor.
“Within 2 weeks, Texas House Democrats made gerrymandering a household word. It is important to emphasize the harmful impact the proposed congressional map will have on people of color,” Collier said in a text Monday afternoon.
Collier represents House District 95, which includes Edgecliff Village, Everman, Forest Hill and part of Fort Worth. She first took office in 2013 and is a former chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus.
Tarrant County’s other three Democratic state lawmakers were permitted to leave the Capitol with DPS monitoring.
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