Texas state representative Nicole Collier spent last night on the floor of the statehouse.
Collier was one of more than 50 Texas Democrats who left the state earlier this month in protest of Republican-led redistricting that would likely flip five national House of Representatives seats from Democrat to Republican. Texas Democrats have described the plan as "gerrymandering," which means dividing up the district map strategically for the purpose of political gains.
Now that Collier and her fellow Democrats have returned to Texas, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Monday that representatives who had warrants issued against them during their absence would not be allowed to leave the chamber without agreeing to one very specific condition. "Members who have not been present until today, for whom arrest warrants were issued, will be granted written permission to leave only after agreeing to be released into the custody of a designated [Department of Public Safety] officer appointment under the rules of the house."
Collier, however, refused the escort, which led to her spending the night in the Texas statehouse. In a statement to the Fort Worth Report, Collier wrote, "I don’t know how long I will be here. Instead of DPS officers looking for pedophiles, they have been assigned to follow Democratic state representatives around only to ensure their return to the Capitol on Wednesday (when the House reconvenes). I sure hope the public feels safe without those officers on beat."
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According to Republican Rep. Charlie Geren, Collier may stay in the chamber or go to her office, but she is not allowed to leave the state capitol grounds. She is the only Democrat who refused a law enforcement escort, but other members have reportedly visited her.
Online, people have a lot of thoughts about the situation. "They have a duly elected lawmaker locked in the Texas Capitol because she refused her Republican-assigned police babysitter," one person wrote.
In a tweet, Representative Jasmine Crockett called it "beyond outrageous," and wrote, "That's some old Jim Crow playbook. Texas Republicans have lost their damn minds."
Some are calling it "kidnapping."
And others are calling it "authoritarianism."
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But others are applauding Collier for taking a stand, like this Arizona state senator who wrote simply, "American hero."
As one Twitter user put it, "Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear bonnets!"
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