As expected, Texas Democrats returned home Monday, setting up the state to pass a redistricting plan that could result in several more GOP controlled seats after next year’s election.
Democrats in the Texas State Legislature who had left the state to halt an aggressive redistricting returned to Texas and ended their two-week walkout on Monday, opening the way for Republicans to pass a redrawn congressional map called for by President Trump…
The standoff among Texas lawmakers began on Aug. 3, when dozens of Democratic state representatives boarded a charter plane to Chicago. And it ended in much the same way, with a large group of Democrats flying together back to Austin.
Republicans promised to impose $7,000 in fines on each Democrat who fled ($500 per day) and also to bill them for the money spent trying to track them down. But Republicans also put in place one additional penalty. No Democrat would be allowed to leave the State House unless accompanied by a member of the Texas Department of Public Safety. The idea was to keep them from running away again.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows on Monday assigned state law enforcement officers to escort the returned Democrats over the next two days, ensuring they come back to Austin on Wednesday. Texas Republican leaders had previously authorized Department of Public Safety officers to canvass the state and stationed them outside lawmakers’ homes while they were outside the state.
Most of the Democrats agreed and left with their assigned member of DPS but one Democrat decided it was time for another headline-grabbing stunt.
State Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth said in an interview Tuesday she would sleep on the House floor until Labor Day if she had to. Since Monday, Collier has entered a new existence, eating, sleeping and working from the locked chamber after refusing to acquiesce to Republican demands that Democrats agree to around-the-clock security escorts in order to be released from the building…
“At what point, what is it going to take for us to say ‘enough is enough?’ Yesterday was my moment. Enough is enough,” Collier said in an interview Tuesday. “I see it. The writing is on the wall. They want power at all costs. And you’re not taking it from me without a fight.”…
“I guess I’m being stubborn, like they are. 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,” Collier said.
Collier acknowledged she voted in favor of the chamber rules, which laid out conditions of a potential detainment if one failed to agree to the escort.
So Rep. Collier could have left like everyone else, but she refused to sign the slip allowing DPS to follow her until Wednesday and chose to stay in the House instead. Here’s Rep. Collier sleeping at her desk (or at least posing for someone taking the photo).
This was my night, bonnet and all, in the #txlege. #thisisme pic.twitter.com/46YgqbMUk8
— Nicole Collier (@NicoleCollier95) August 19, 2025
As the excerpt above mentions, Collier voted for the rules regarding forming a quorum which includes the possibility of arrest for those who break quorum.
Bc Rep Collier voted for the same House rules as the other 148 members.
The DPS escort is bc she broke quorum last week, not bc she’s [whatever she claims, i honestly am not sure]. pic.twitter.com/8G4qnWkcEE
— Just A Nobody (@SomeAnonStaffer) August 19, 2025
Meanwhile, the other Democrats who signed the slip and went home (after being away for 2 weeks) are just realizing they missed out on the opportunity for another media stunt. Now they are all planning a sleepover together.
A group of Texas Democrats are returning to the state House in Austin where they will spend the night — the latest step in broader protest over Republican plans to redraw congressional districts in the state.
The state House Democratic caucus said in a press release that eight of its members will return to the floor Tuesday evening, “publicly tearing up the permission slips required by Republicans for members to leave the chamber.”
The Democrats will join state Rep. Nicole Collier, their colleague who has remained locked in the state House chamber since Monday afternoon after refusing the condition of a security escort to leave the chamber.
Here they are tearing up the permission slips they signed yesterday.
A group of Texas Dems rip up their permission slips to leave the House, returning to spend the night in protest of leadership’s move to monitor their movements with DPS officers.
“Nicole was right.” @RepPennyMShaw @Senfronia4Texas @plesafortexas @CasforTX @BowersForTexas pic.twitter.com/zqODmWMVWV
— Ryan Chandler (@RyanChandlerTV) August 19, 2025
They are going to succeed in garnering more national attention and, once again, in the end it won’t matter a bit. They will be hailed by the resistance for their “she persisted” energy, maybe T-shirts will be printed, but beyond that it won’t matter.
