Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier from Fort Worth made her return to the Texas Capitol on Monday, but she finds herself in a contentious situation. Collier stated that she remains effectively locked inside the Capitol because she declined to sign a permission slip that would allow her to be escorted by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). These escorts are being mandated for all House Democrats who left Texas last month, an act that successfully prevented a vote on a GOP-led redistricting effort.
The purpose of the escorts is to ensure that all House Democrats return to the Capitol by 10 a.m. on Wednesday for the next special session. In a Zoom interview with CBS News Texas, Collier expressed her discontent with the current situation, labeling it as unjust—much like the new Congressional maps that she and her fellow Democrats are attempting to thwart. According to DPS, Collier is required to stay confined either in the House chambers or inside her office at the Capitol.
CBS News Texas has reached out to DPS for further comment on this unfolding situation. In a statement, the Texas House Democratic Caucus condemned the police escorts as a new tactic employed by Republicans to monitor and control Democratic lawmakers following their effective quorum break.
As Collier and dozens of other House Democrats re-entered the Capitol, they were greeted with a Texas-sized welcome from their supporters. They made their way from the rotunda into the House chamber just minutes before the House session commenced around noon. Earlier this month, these Democrats had fled to blue states in response to former President Trump’s suggestion that Texas should redraw its U.S. House district maps to secure additional Republican seats.
The Democrats’ strategic departure aimed to deny Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott a quorum, effectively halting a special legislative session that he called to reshape the state's congressional maps. The GOP-led redistricting effort is poised to create five additional Republican-leaning House seats in anticipation of the 2026 midterm elections. Currently, Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House.
Due to the Democrats’ successful quorum break, the special session could not proceed for two weeks as there were not enough House members present. On Monday, 120 members were present on the House floor, though 30 remained absent. House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Gene Wu announced that their efforts to block the creation of five Republican-leaning seats have transitioned into a legal phase.
With a quorum now restored in the House, the redistricting committee is set to convene and deliberate on the proposed new maps. These maps are anticipated to be approved along party lines and could be sent to the full House as early as Wednesday. The Texas Senate redistricting committee has already approved the maps on Sunday, and the full Senate is expected to take them up sometime this week.
