AUSTIN — Apoligies(sic) for the late notice. Several colleagues of Rep. Nicole Collier are tearing up their “permission slips” and joining her on the floor in solidarity. You can watch their remarks as they join Rep. Collier who has been detained on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives for the past 24 hours for refusing to agree to 24 hour survailence as a condition of being able to leave the capitol complex.
Watch live here:
https://youtube.com/@texashdc
https://x.com/texashdc
Background info:
State Representative Nicole Collier (D-Fort Worth) is currently being detained on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives after taking a principled stand against unprecedented Republican intimidation tactics. Rep. Collier, a seven-term Democratic lawmaker and former chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, is refusing to sign a “permission slip” that would assign her a taxpayer-funded law enforcement escort required to follow her movements throughout the entire state, 24/7.
The permission slip requirement is the latest Republican tactic to monitor and control Democratic lawmakers following their successful quorum break that stalled Governor Abbott’s discriminatory redistricting plan and sparked a national movement. Republicans have completely closed the House galleries to the public, ensuring no Texans can witness Rep. Collier’s act of resistance firsthand, and have refused access to news cameras wishing to capture her protest.
Rep. Collier, who represents a majority-minority district in Fort Worth, sees this as a continuation of her resistance against Republicans’ discriminatory redistricting maps designed to silence minority voters.
“My constituents sent me to Austin to protect their voices and rights,” said Rep. Nicole Collier. “I refuse to sign away my dignity as a duly elected representative just so Republicans can control my movements and monitor me with police escorts. My community is majority-minority, and they expect me to stand up for their representation. When I press that button to vote, I know these maps will harm my constituents — I won’t just go along quietly with their intimidation or their discrimination.”
Texas House Democrats are supporting Rep. Collier’s right to protest and call on Republican leadership to immediately cease this unprecedented detention of a sitting legislator and reopen the galleries to restore public access and transparency to legislative proceedings.
