At least three Texas House Democrats spent the night inside the state Capitol in protest of a Republican-backed redistricting plan, which they say would diminish the voting power of minority communities.
State Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth spent Monday night in the House chamber, sleeping on leather chairs after rejecting new attendance rules that required Democrats who previously broke quorum to check in and be monitored by state police.
“I feel like that is an invasion of my rights as a person and it is dehumanizing and demeaning and I just won't take it.” Collier told the Texas Newsroom.” I won't agree to it.”
Collier began livestreaming from the chamber just after 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning and was still broadcasting at 12 p.m. She was joined by Reps. Gene Wu of Houston and Vincent Perez of El Paso, who accepted the rules but stayed overnight to support her.
The trio was among dozens of Democrats who left the state for two weeks to delay a vote on a proposed redistricting plan that would add up to five Republican-held congressional seats in Texas. The ongoing quorum break effectively froze the Legislature, leading to the early adjournment of the special session — and the immediate start of a second session called by Gov. Greg Abbott.
When Democrats returned to the Capitol this week, Republican leaders imposed new conditions: previously absent lawmakers had to sign a permission slip, pledging not to leave again and agreeing to be escorted by state troopers if they moved around the Capitol. Collier refused to comply, opting instead to stay the night inside the House.
“My constituents elected me to be a fighter,” Collier said. “It only takes one person to start the fire, to spark the fire.”
As lawmakers settled in for the night, protesters gathered outside the chamber. An Instagram video showed four people being detained Monday evening, with state Sen. Molly Cook of Houston kneeling beside them.
“I'm moved by the public's response to this,” Cook told The Texas Newsroom. "I disagree with the authoritarian move to use law enforcement against elected officials, especially when they are here and they are complying."
With a quorum restored, the Republican-controlled Legislature is expected to move quickly to pass the proposed congressional map. Rep. Collier said she expects the required law enforcement monitoring will end once the maps are passed.
“Once they get what they want — which is the maps, the congressional maps — they will remove the call on the House,” Collier said. “That, apparently, is their priority.”
The Texas Newsroom's Blaise Gainey contributed to this story.
