The Texas House Democrats showed solidarity ahead of a scheduled vote on new congressional maps.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Legislature is set for another debate over new congressional maps.
After returning Monday, the Texas House met a quorum for the first time in weeks. The house adjourned and Democrats who left the state were asked to sign a form dismissing them into DPS custody. They were apparently considered a flight risk.
Then the Texas House chamber emptied except for one member Monday evening.
Democrat Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth told KHOU 11 she did not want to be released into Department of Public Safety custody.
“I immediately felt appalled, I was offended, I felt in my heart it just wasn’t right,” said Collier, who spent the night in the House chambers. On Tuesday, Travis County records show she filed a writ of habeas corpus in response to her staying in the House chambers.
“I’m not signing a piece of paper to get my freedom,” Collier said.
Tuesday afternoon, some of her colleagues joined Collier in solidarity, ripping their “permission slips” and planned to stay in the house chambers overnight to show solidarity in this fight over redistricting.
Collier and her colleagues intend to keep fighting the proposed redistricting bill set for a full house vote Wednesday morning.
“We are going to be ready to fight this on the floor for as long as it takes, so that way we can get the legal battle, get the legal record ready so we can take it to the courts,” she said.
The proposed redistricting bill advanced out of committee Monday night. House Republicans explained the changes.
“It has enhanced and increased Republican partisanship, enhanced performance. The intent of the changes was to increase performance in existing Republican districts over the proposed plan,” Rep. Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi told the committee Monday night.
But there is additional work to be done in Austin.
Tuesday, the Texas Senate quickly passed a bill banning the sale of THC products. Democrats in the House say there are other issues to prioritize instead of redistricting.
“We want to see the flood relief legislation come up first, but they have told us and shown us what their true intentions have always been, and that’s to put Trump’s agenda before the people’s agenda,” Collier said.
Wednesday morning, the Texas House will vote on the redistricting bill, which is likely to pass with a Republican majority.
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