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4w ago

Texas Democrat Sleeps on House Floor to Defy DPS Escort Rule as Redistricting Vote Nears

Republicans have set a Wednesday vote on a Trump-backed map under rules requiring trooper escorts for returning Democrats.

State Rep. Nicole Collier talks on the phone from the floor of the House, where she has chosen to remain until Wednesday, after Democratic lawmakers who had left the state to prevent Republicans from redrawing Texas’s 38 congressional districts returned to the Capitol in Austin, Texas, U.S., August 18, 2025. Collier is staying in the chamber because she did not want to sign the required permission slip allowing lawmakers to leave the Capitol under escort by Department of Public Safety agents. Texas House of Representatives Minority Leader Gene Wu/Handout via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. REFILE - CORRECTING INFORMATION FROM "U.S. REP." TO "STATE REP.\
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Protesters cheer on Texas State Representative Nicole Collier after she chose to remain in the Texas House chamber until Wednesday after Democratic lawmakers who left the state to deny Republicans the opportunity to redraw the state's 38 congressional districts, returned to the State Capitol in Austin, Texas, U.S., August 18, 2025. Collier is staying because she did not want to sign the required permission slip that would allow lawmakers to leave the Capitol under escort by Department of Public Safety agents. REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona

Overview

  • House Speaker Dustin Burrows ordered that Democrats who broke quorum may leave only if they sign permission slips releasing them into the custody of designated Department of Public Safety officers.
  • Rep. Nicole Collier refused to sign, stayed overnight on the House floor, and livestreamed her protest, with Democratic Reps. Gene Wu and Vince Perez joining her for support.
  • The House remains locked to members until the vote, most Democrats initially accepted escorts, some later tore up their slips, and a handful of outside supporters were arrested for trespassing after hours.
  • Republican leaders previously issued civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats, Gov. Greg Abbott asked the Texas Supreme Court to remove several from office, and lawmakers face $500-per-day fines for their absence.
  • The GOP plan is intended to add about five Republican-leaning U.S. House seats in 2026, drawing national pushback including promised Voting Rights Act lawsuits and a counter‑remapping effort led by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.