A dramatic standoff unfolded at the Texas Capitol after Rep. Nicole Collier, a Democrat from Fort Worth, chose to sleep inside the House chamber rather than comply with an order requiring her to be monitored by a Department of Public Safety escort if she left. Shortly after beginning her protest Monday night, Collier filed a lawsuit claiming she was being illegally confined under orders from House Speaker Dustin Burrows, who had instructed that members obtain written permission to exit the chamber. Burrows further required that Democrats who previously broke quorum and faced arrest warrants could only leave if released into the custody of a DPS officer who would ensure their return for Wednesday’s session.
Collier refused to accept those terms, saying the restrictions amounted to improper restraint, and vowed to continue her protest until the courts intervene. She stressed her determination to fight what she views as unjust treatment, while several other Democratic members announced plans to join her by tearing up their permission slips and spending the night in the chamber as a collective show of resistance. Republican colleagues, however, dismissed the protest as a political performance, with one lawmaker likening it to schoolyard drama. The dispute echoes a 2021 showdown when Democratic lawmakers fled Texas to block voting legislation, a move the state’s Supreme Court ultimately ruled against, affirming that the House has authority to compel absent members back to the chamber.
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