Democratic Texas Rep. Nicole Collier spending night on state House floor after refusing GOP demand for law enforcement escort

Time Magazine

Nicole Collier Fort Worth Democrat Texas Escort Republicans Trump Redistricting

AlterNet

'Held captive': Texas GOP lock Dem lawmaker in statehouse chamber for not signing 'permission slip'

Texas Democratic legislator to stay in state capitol after refusing law enforcement escort to leave

The Washington Examiner

Texas Democrat stuck in House chamber after refusing GOP mandate for police escort

Huffington Post

Texas State Rep. Refuses To Leave Capitol Amid Democrat And Republican Showdown

The New Republic

Texas Dems Resort to Wild Measure to Protest Fascist Surveillance

The Telegraph

Texas Democrat sleeps on House floor in bodyguard protest

Daily Caller

Jasmine Crockett Rants About Texas Racist Maps While Applauding California Dem Gerrymandering

GeneforTexas

NicoleCollier95

Metaculus

Which party will hold a plurality in the US House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm elections?

New York Post

Watch: Texas House Democrat Nicole Collier locked in Chamber overnight in protest

Texas State Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth on Monday remained on the House floor overnight after refusing to sign a permission slip to leave the floor, instead stating that she would not sign away her dignity as a duly elected representative.

Texas State Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth on Monday remained on the House floor overnight after refusing to sign a permission slip to leave the floor, instead stating that she would not sign away her dignity as a duly elected representative.

This comes after <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.improvethenews.org/story/2025/texas-democrats-end-walkout-as-redistricting-battle-spreads">Texas House Democrats returned to the state Capitol on Monday</a> after fleeing to other states for two weeks to prevent a vote on a Republican redistricting plan that would create five more GOP-leaning congressional seats for the 2026 midterm elections.

This comes after Texas House Democrats returned to the state Capitol on Monday after fleeing to other states for two weeks to prevent a vote on a Republican redistricting plan that would create five more GOP-leaning congressional seats for the 2026 midterm elections.

Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows on Monday required returning Democrats to sign written permission and accept Department of Public Safety escorts to leave the House chamber, with officers tasked with ensuring their return when the House reconvenes Wednesday morning.

Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows on Monday required returning Democrats to sign written permission and accept Department of Public Safety escorts to leave the House chamber, with officers tasked with ensuring their return when the House reconvenes Wednesday morning.

Reps. Gene Wu and Vince Perez, who signed the would-be permission slips, planned to stay on the House floor with Collier overnight, with Wu posting photos of their snacks, including dried peaches, freeze-dried grapes, popcorn and ramen.

Reps. Gene Wu and Vince Perez, who signed the would-be permission slips, planned to stay on the House floor with Collier overnight, with Wu posting photos of their snacks, including dried peaches, freeze-dried grapes, popcorn and ramen.

Collier posted a photo of her sleeping at her desk. She said that she intends to remain in the Capitol through the return of business Wednesday.

Collier posted a photo of her sleeping at her desk. She said that she intends to remain in the Capitol through the return of business Wednesday.

The redistricting effort was launched at President Donald Trump's urging and has triggered a nationwide gerrymandering response, with California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom proposing retaliatory maps that could help Democrats gain five seats.

The redistricting effort was launched at President Donald Trump's urging and has triggered a nationwide gerrymandering response, with California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom proposing retaliatory maps that could help Democrats gain five seats.

CNN #4494

Time Magazine #

AlterNet #

NBC #2514

The Washington Examiner #

Huffington Post #

The New Republic #

The Telegraph #

Daily Caller #

Metaculus #

New York Post #

House Speaker Dustin Burrows required returning Democrats to sign written permission and accept Department of Public Safety escorts to leave the House chamber, with officers ensuring their return when the House reconvenes Wednesday morning.</span

House Speaker Dustin Burrows required returning Democrats to sign written permission and accept Department of Public Safety escorts to leave the House chamber, with officers ensuring their return when the House reconvenes Wednesday morning.

State Representative Nicole Collier of Fort Worth refused to sign the agreement and remained on the House floor overnight Monday, stating she would not sign away her dignity as a duly elected representative.</span

State Representative Nicole Collier of Fort Worth refused to sign the agreement and remained on the House floor overnight Monday, stating she would not sign away her dignity as a duly elected representative.

The Texas House established a quorum Monday afternoon for the first time since most Democratic members fled the state 15 days earlier, allowing Republicans to potentially advance the new congressional maps.</span

The Texas House established a quorum Monday afternoon for the first time since most Democratic members fled the state 15 days earlier, allowing Republicans to potentially advance the new congressional maps.

State Representatives Gene Wu and Vince Perez planned to stay on the House floor with Collier overnight, with Wu posting photos of their snacks including dried peaches, freeze-dried grapes, popcorn and ramen.</span

State Representatives Gene Wu and Vince Perez planned to stay on the House floor with Collier overnight, with Wu posting photos of their snacks including dried peaches, freeze-dried grapes, popcorn and ramen.

The redistricting effort was launched at President Donald Trump's urging and has triggered a nationwide gerrymandering response, with California Governor Gavin Newsom proposing retaliatory maps that could help Democrats gain five seats.</span

The redistricting effort was launched at President Donald Trump's urging and has triggered a nationwide gerrymandering response, with California Governor Gavin Newsom proposing retaliatory maps that could help Democrats gain five seats.

Republicans are literally holding elected officials prisoner and forcing them to sign "permission slips" like they're schoolchildren. This is straight-up authoritarianism - locking lawmakers in chambers and demanding police escorts just because they oppose gerrymandered maps designed to silence minority voices. If this happened in any other country, we'd call it what it is: a dictatorship.

Republicans are literally holding elected officials prisoner and forcing them to sign "permission slips" like they're schoolchildren. This is straight-up authoritarianism - locking lawmakers in chambers and demanding police escorts just because they oppose gerrymandered maps designed to silence minority voices. If this happened in any other country, we'd call it what it is: a dictatorship.

Texas Democrat Stays Overnight in House Chamber

Legislation

United States of America

This situation shows how far Democrats will go to avoid doing their actual jobs. They ran away from the state like children throwing a tantrum, and now one of them is camping out on the House floor rather than following basic security protocols. And they're doing all this while showing their hypocrisy by rejecting Texas' gerrymandering and cheering on California's plans.

This situation shows how far Democrats will go to avoid doing their actual jobs. They ran away from the state like children throwing a tantrum, and now one of them is camping out on the House floor rather than following basic security protocols. And they're doing all this while showing their hypocrisy by rejecting Texas' gerrymandering and cheering on California's plans.

Republicans have stooped to literally holding elected officials prisoner and treating them like schoolchildren. This is straight-up authoritarianism — locking lawmakers in chambers and demanding police escorts just because they oppose gerrymandered maps designed to silence minority voices. If this happened in any other country, we'd call it what it is: dictatorship.

Republicans have stooped to literally holding elected officials prisoner and treating them like schoolchildren. This is straight-up authoritarianism — locking lawmakers in chambers and demanding police escorts just because they oppose gerrymandered maps designed to silence minority voices. If this happened in any other country, we'd call it what it is: dictatorship.

There's a 25% chance that Republicans will hold a plurality in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm elections, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There's a 25% chance that Republicans will hold a plurality in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm elections, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Texas Democrat Stays Overnight in House Chamber

Texas Democrat Stays Overnight in House Chamber

The Spin

Metaculus Prediction

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Texas Democrat Stays Overnight in House Chamber

Texas Democrat Stays Overnight in House Chamber

The Spin

Metaculus Prediction

Sign Up for Our Free NewslettersSign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters