After having fled the state over redistricting legislation, Democratic lawmakers had to agree to have security escorts to leave the chamber. Now, a number are refusing.
A group of Texas Democrats are returning to the state House in Austin where they will spend the night — the latest step in a broader protest over Republican plans to redraw congressional districts in the state.
The state House Democratic caucus said in a news release that eight of its members will return to the floor Tuesday evening, “publicly tearing up the permission slips required by Republicans for members to leave the chamber.”
The Democrats will join state Rep. Nicole Collier, their colleague who has remained locked in the state House chamber since Monday afternoon after she refused the condition of a security escort to leave the chamber.
This is so ridiculous. Why did you go back? It’s performative at this point. They’ll pass the legislation. The difficult thing to do was staying away for ~100 days and you couldn’t do it. This is just nothing.
The TX legislature is a part time job and gets paid hardly anything. Most reps have normal, regular jobs, not to mention a spouse, children, and all that stuff.
Can you fork over $500 a day when you’re not at work?
While I would have loved for them to stay away longer, trying to act like it was just a matter of cojones is horrendously naive.
This is absolutely something the party apparatus should’ve funded. If they can figure out a thousand ways to funnel campaign contributions to a thousand other endeavors, they can figure out how to pay for a few dozen people to stay in Illinois for 6 months. We’re talking a microscopic amount of money when compared to campaign advertising and consultants.
Since when did some podunk Texas judge have jurisdiction over Illinois?
Because Powered by the People is based in Texas. It’s a PAC specifically for Texas. Therefore, TXAG has the right, and legal standing, to sue. However, I believe Dems should have kept going, found other ways to fund the Dems who left and fight TXAG Paxton.
All these people upset about elected Democrats when a fuck ton more don’t take the time to just go vote.
Perhaps people are placing blame in the wrong place.
I heard 2 dems broke away and showed up for some fucking reason. This broke the minimum seats needed to bring a vote. It meant the other dems staying out of state didn’t make a difference, so they all returned.
Actual answer involves looking at the timeline of getting the legislation through the courts before it affects the election.
“We had to come home for the legal battle,” Plesa told Morning Edition. “Our election experts told us that we, too, are on tight deadlines to make sure that these maps make it in the courts and they’re litigated on.” https://www.npr.org/2025/08/19/nx-s1-5506179/texas-redistricting-plan-democrats-walkout
Republicans and dems do this all the time in different states, it’s always performative. Both sides always threaten to arrest the other. This time, the Texas Republicans successfully got the warrants approved as of last Friday, so big surprise the dems are back.
Now instead of leaving, they’re having a sleepover to ensure they’ll be there fresh and ready for the vote.
Do you usually vote conservative?
In other words, Texas Dems are unprincipled cowards. Imagine what happens when they face a real threat. Fascism is going to break these useless bastards so fast…
What a fun performance! The Republicans will surely rue this day, just like they did when Joe Biden appointed Merrick Garland to run the Department of Justice.
What are they even being policed for? The session the warrants were issued for is over and they returned to the state house. There’s nothing more to be done in that order. What happens if they leave without agreeing to escort? Will they be arrested? For what?
Urinate on the republican seats!
