More Texas Democrats Plan To Spend The Night In The Statehouse In Protest Amid Redistricting Fight

3 weeks ago

A group of Texas Democrats are returning to nan authorities House successful Austin, wherever they will walk nan nighttime connected nan statehouse level — nan latest measurement successful broader protestation complete Republican plans to redraw legislature districts successful nan state.

The authorities House Democratic caucus said successful a property merchandise that 8 of its members will return to nan level Tuesday evening, “publicly tearing up nan support slips required by Republicans for members to time off nan chamber.”

The Democrats will subordinate authorities Rep. Nicole Collier, their workfellow who has remained locked successful nan statehouse chamber since Monday day aft refusing nan information of a information escort to time off nan chamber.

After Democratic lawmakers fled nan authorities for 2 weeks, denying nan authorities House a quorum to move guardant pinch redistricting legislation, Republican leaders person demanded that Democrats work together to around-the-clock information escorts to guarantee they’d return to nan enclosure connected Wednesday for nan redistricting vote.

Collier did not agree, truthful she’s remained connected nan floor, while her statement has livestreamed her protestation for much than a day. Tuesday night, though, she’ll person institution up of transition of nan redistricting scheme successful nan House, which could hap arsenic soon arsenic Wednesday. The authorities is meant to pad nan GOP mostly successful Washington.

Collier has framed her determination to stay successful nan statehouse arsenic an enactment of defiance, telling NBC News she wouldn’t motion nan de facto support gaffe presented to Democrats by House GOP leaders outlining nan conditions that allowed them to time off nan chamber.

Those conditions are successful effect because nan House approved civilian apprehension warrants for nan dozens of Democrats who near Texas earlier this month.

State Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, a Houston-area Democrat, told NBC News that she decided to return to guidelines pinch Collier because she didn’t want to beryllium seen arsenic “validating” nan GOP’s “narrative that we were derelict.”

“Nicole was right. We should not person submitted to this,” she added. “I cannot support this very debased and bad precedent for each early legislators.”