Meanwhile in Crazytown, Texas

Texas Rep. Nicole Collier (D), who caught the national spotlight after choosing to sleep in the state capitol rather than accept a police escort, was ordered off a press call organized by the DNC today.

Collier dialed into the Zoom call — which also featured DNC Chairman Ken Martin, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Cory Booker — from a Capitol restroom as the floor debate over Texas’ GOP gerrymander echoed in the background.

Collier interrupted as Martin was responding to a press question, saying she was being ordered to end the call. “It’s a felony for me to do this, apparently?” Collier said before seeming to address someone off camera. “I can’t be on the floor or in the bathroom? You told me I was only allowed to be here, in the bathroom.”

  Democracy Docket

America has fallen. 

Fascist and unafraid of consequences

America has truly fallen.

From a Democracy Docket newsletter:

Texas State Rep. Nicole Collier — one of the Democrats who left the state and returned to Austin yesterday — is still on the House floor after refusing a Republican demand to be assigned a 24-hour police escort. She was locked in the chamber overnight.

Ever since the Texas Democrats who fled the state to break quorum returned, their GOP colleagues demanded they have ‘round-the-clock security escorts to ensure they won’t flee the state again until the House reconvenes Wednesday. Collier refused to comply with the demand.

Collier filed a state court application for a writ of habeas corpus Tuesday, claiming that “the restraint on her liberty is illegal.

I should think so!

We have morphed into a nightmare.

UPDATE 08:02 pm:

UPDATE 08/20/2025:

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX): "As a former TX State Rep, let me be clear: LOCKING Rep. Nicole Collier inside the chamber is beyond outrageous. Forcing elected officials to sign 'permission slips' and take police escorts to leave? That's not procedure. That's some old Jim Crow playbook. Texas Republicans have lost their damn minds.”

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