The Texas legislature, once struggling to retain its Democratic lawmakers, now faces a unique predicament: convincing them to leave the Capitol.
A Fort Worth-based state legislator opted to remain confined within the building on Monday, rejecting the offer of a law enforcement escort to ensure her return to duty on Wednesday. By Tuesday, she was no longer alone in her stance.
As reported by NBC News, Rep. Nicole Collier, a seasoned legislator with 12 years of service, declined the stipulation that she accept an escort from the Department of Public Safety to exit the House chamber on Monday.
This condition was imposed by Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows on all Texas Democratic lawmakers who were issued arrest warrants during their attempt to prevent the House from achieving a quorum to vote on new congressional district lines ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The redistricting could potentially enable Republicans to secure five additional congressional seats, a significant gain that could help the GOP maintain control of Congress post-elections. Collier, however, was the sole legislator who refused to comply with the escort requirement.
"I guess I'm being stubborn, like they are," she stated, according to NBC. "But I'm not signing the piece of paper to make them feel good so they can have something in their hand as evidence of their control."
Speaker Burrows, predictably, holds a different perspective. In a statement, he dismissed questions on the matter, according to NBC. "Rep. Collier's choice to stay and not sign the permission slip is well within her rights under the House Rules," the statement read, as reported by NBC. "I am choosing to spend my time focused on moving the important legislation the results Texans care about."
In a well-publicized move, Texas Democrats fled to Democrat-controlled states like Illinois and Massachusetts in late July for two weeks, aiming to thwart a redistricting vote during a special session convened by Gov. Greg Abbott. The strategy was partially successful; the special session failed to convene due to the absence of a quorum without the Democrats. However, as the redistricting battle echoed beyond state borders, Abbott simply called for another special session.
According to CBS News, Speaker Burrows' decision to assign escorts from the state Department of Public Safety to Democrats was a measure to prevent a similar mass departure before the commencement of the next special session, scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday.
On Tuesday, other Democrats who had initially accepted the escorts returned to the Capitol, tore up their slips, and pledged to stay. "Who's House?" Rep. Mihaela Plesa called out, to which a small but vocal crowd of supporters responded, "Our House!" "Never let them forget that," Plesa urged.
The unfolding situation in Texas is a testament to the ongoing tension between the state's Democratic and Republican lawmakers. As the redistricting battle continues, the actions of legislators like Collier and Plesa highlight the lengths to which some are willing to go to assert their political autonomy and challenge the status quo.
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