A Democratic state lawmaker who fled Texas in protest of a GOP redistricting effort is asking a court to let her exit the Capitol, after she was told she needs a police escort to leave the building.

Democratic State Rep. Nicole Collier is hunkering down in the Texas Capitol building in protest of Republican leadership assigning law enforcement officers to monitor the state's Democratic caucus, after dozens fled the state for two weeks in attempts to halt a vote on new congressional maps that would advantage the GOP in next year's elections.

“Way to go Rep Collier!” Rep. Marc Veasey, a Fort Worth Democrat, said in a post on X. “Don’t sign the slip! This is why we need to keep Voting Rights Act! Making someone sign a permission slip is way too antebellum!!! This is ridiculous! And, it’s so natural for them (GOP) to behave this way! It’s systemic in their every day actions!”

GOP leadership required Democrats to consent to a police escort in order to leave the building. Collier chose to stay instead.

Texas Republicans mandated that Democratic lawmakers not be allowed to leave the state house without a permission slip and a police escort.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris personally reached out to Texas State Rep. Nicole Collier as she continued to be confined inside the state Capitol after refusing a demand from the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives to sign a permission ...

Texas State Representative Nicole Collier has emerged as a key figure in the state’s ongoing electoral map controversy.

A Texas state Democrat slept on the statehouse floor, playing victim in an attention-seeking stunt that will make her a social media star.