Democratic State Representative Nicole Collier spent the night inside the Texas House chamber, refusing to leave after Speaker Dustin Burrows ordered that lawmakers who broke quorum earlier this month remain under constant watch by the Department of Public Safety.
Burrows has defended the surveillance as necessary to prevent Democrats from leaving the state again in protest. But for Collier, the order represented something far more troubling: an effort to intimidate and silence elected representatives.
In a live interview with CBS Austin Tuesday morning, Collier described what had now become a 15-hour sit-in. “I haven’t moved since [we adjourned] because I believe that what is going on is just wrong,” she said. “We’ve got to stop treating people like they are less than. We need to trust the voters to elect the candidate of their choice. We don’t need lawmakers choosing who their voters are.”
The clash comes as Republicans press forward with mid-decade redistricting, seeking to add five GOP-leaning congressional districts. Democrats warn the move will dilute minority voting strength and entrench Republican power for the next decade. The fight in Austin is part of a larger national struggle, with Democrats in other states threatening countermeasures and court challenges already underway.
Collier has cast her stand as a defense of democracy itself. “I’m saying to stand strong, stand up against those bullies who try to push you around,” she said. “You don’t have to take it. You have the right to peacefully protest under the law. We have to be able to exercise our First Amendment right.”
She accused House leadership of placing partisan gain above urgent needs. “We saw this chamber decide that rigging maps was more important than providing flood relief,” Collier said. “So when you see government taking action that you oppose, you have a right to object and that’s what I’m doing.”
She was careful to stress that DPS officers were not the villains in this story. “DPS is doing what they have been instructed to do,” Collier explained. “But when government silences the people or tries to control them, then we’re no longer in a democracy. That is why we have to resist.”
As for what’s at stake, Collier didn’t mince words: “All is on the line. Our future, our ability for free and fair elections are on the line. If we don’t rise up and object, we will continue to see the erosion of the simple freedoms that we enjoy today.”
Late Monday, Collier filed for a writ of habeas corpus in Travis County District Court, arguing that Burrows’ order amounted to unlawful restraint. But Democratic leaders now say the order could be rescinded within hours, a sign that Collier’s late-night protest may have already shifted the balance.
