Texas Lawmaker Protests Redistricting by Sleeping in Capitol

Protest Against Redistricting

• 😴 State Representative Nicole Collier spent two nights sleeping in the Texas State Capitol to protest Republican-led redistricting efforts.
• 🚨 Collier stated that Republicans are prioritizing redrawing electoral maps mid-decade over providing flood relief to Texans.
• 📣 She is advocating for fair maps and fair elections, allowing the people to decide their representatives.

Flood Relief vs. Redistricting

• 💧 Collier expressed dismay that flood victims in the Hill Country have not been prioritized by the Texas legislature.
• ⚖️ She noted that the Republican legislature plans to consider flood relief legislation only after they have finalized the redistricting maps.

Redistricting Fight and Compromise

• 🗺️ Collier was part of a Democratic delegation that met with California representatives to discuss a potential response to Texas's request for five new congressional seats.
• 🤝 She suggested that if Texas Governor Abbott and former President Trump withdraw the proposed maps, California might reciprocate, allowing the people to decide.
• 🚫 Collier supports federal legislation to prohibit mid-decade redistricting.

Solidarity and Legislative Agenda

• 🤝 Fellow Democratic legislators, including Representatives Penny Morales Shaw, Cass Hernandez, Maha Pa, Salomon Bjani, Gene Woo, and Rea Bowers, joined Collier in solidarity.
• 🏛️ Collier clarified that Democrats do not control the legislative agenda, which is set by Republicans, and that the current focus is on the redistricting maps.
• ✅ If flood relief were on the agenda, Democrats would offer amendments to support Texans, but they would prioritize flood victims if they could set the agenda.