A group of Texas House Democrats returned to the chamber as part of an escalating protest against Republican efforts to redraw the state's congressional map. The lawmakers, refusing GOP-imposed conditions, say the proposed redistricting would unfairly strengthen Republican power in Washington.
The Texas House Democratic Caucus announced the protest in a statement, saying eight members would reenter the chamber and "publicly tear up the permission slips required by Republicans for members to leave."
These slips are part of a controversial agreement tied to GOP-enforced security escorts for Democrats who had fled the state to block a quorum.
The protest centers around Rep. Nicole Collier (D), who has remained inside the chamber since Monday after declining to sign the agreement requiring a Department of Public Safety escort. Her party has livestreamed her solo protest for over a day. The Following night she was joined by fellow Democrats in a show of unity before a potential House vote on the redistricting bill.
The standoff stems from a weeks-long Democratic effort to block a Republican redistricting proposal that could add five GOP-favored seats to Texas’s congressional delegation. Republican leaders responded by authorizing civil arrest warrants for absent Democrats and conditioning their return on monitored reentry into the chamber.
Rep. Collier called her decision to stay an act of defiance. “I will not be monitored to do my job,” she said. “I refuse to legitimize their control over my movement with a signature.”
The GOP-backed redistricting legislation is expected to advance swiftly once the House regains quorum. Democrats argue it dilutes minority voting power and is part of a broader strategy to entrench partisan advantage.
