First, the Democrats of the Texas House of Representatives refused to meet in their legislative chamber in an act of resistance. Now, one of them will not leave.
Fort Worth’s state representative Nicole Collier said Monday that she will remain locked in the Austin State Chamber until the camera meet again on Wednesday morning.
She is making the movement after she rejected the conditions established by the Republican leaders who would have required that she sign an escort of application of the law before being able to go home after Monday’s session.
It is another dramatic turn in the two -week saga that involves the Democrats of the House of Representatives of Texas who fled to other states earlier this month, and most of them took refuge in Illinois. The Plan denied a quorum for Republicans to advance during a special legislative session with a redibrated from the Map of the Texas Congress, an act destined to fill out the majority of the Republican Party House of Representatives.
“I refuse to sign my dignity as a representative duly chosen so that Republicans can control my movements and monitor me with police escorts,” Collier said in a statement that called her “political prisoner” for rejecting the “Republican Surveillance Protocol.”
The president of the House of Representatives of Texas, Dustin Burrows, said Monday that the Democrats who had arrest orders issued against them could not leave the Chamber unless they agreed specific conditions.
“The members who have not been present until today, for whom arrest orders were issued, will be awarded a written permit to leave only after accepting being released under the custody of a designated [Department of Public Safety] Appointment of the officers under the rules of the Chamber, “he said, adding that the officers” would make sure of their return on Wednesday at 10 am “
“For those still absent, civil arrest orders remain in force,” Burrows added.
Collier is a seven -period democratic legislator and former president of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus that also represents a majority district of the majority. The Democrats have accused that the redibrated Maps of Congress would tear those districts, stripping the voters of their voices.
“When I press that voting button, I know that these maps will damage my voters, I will not only go silently with their intimidation or discrimination,” he added in the statement.
“My components sent me to Austin to protect their voices and rights,” he said.
A Burrows spokesman could not be contacted immediately to comment.
