A Texas state representative has refused to leave the state capitol amid a contentious battle between Republicans and Democrats.
State Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth (D) told news outlets she was protesting the Republican House speaker’s insistence that she and other Democratic lawmakers be under surveillance by state troopers ahead of Wednesday’s meeting of the legislature.
“I don’t know how long I will be here,” Collier wrote in a statement to the Fort Worth Report on Monday. “Instead of DPS officers looking for pedophiles, they have been assigned to follow Democratic state representatives around only to ensure their return to the Capitol on Wednesday (when the House reconvenes). I sure hope the public feels safe without those officers on beat.”
Collier’s insistence on remaining in the state capitol, located in Austin, comes after Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) threatened to arrest Democrats who attempted to block Republicans from their racially biased redistricting efforts by leaving the state for two weeks.
The redistricting effort, unsurprisingly pushed by President Donald Trump, would allow Republicans to gain an extra five congressional seats ahead of the midterm elections.
