Wild in Texas right now:

[applegrove]

…this is just kidnapping, right?

— Chris Kluwe (@chriswarcraft.bsky.social) 2025-08-18T21:55:35.802Z

More:

Texas Democrat Locked Inside State Capitol

August 18, 2025 at 10:30 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 95 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2025/08/18/texas-democrat-locked-inside-state-capitol/

Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier (D) returned to the Texas Capitol on Monday “but says she remains locked inside the Capitol because she wouldn’t sign a permission slip to be under escort by the Texas Department of Public Safety,” CBS News reports.

“The escorts for all House Democrats who left the state of Texas last month — preventing a vote on a GOP-led redistricting effort — are meant as a guarantee that they will return to the House by 10 a.m. Wednesday for the next special session.”

San Antonio Current: House Democrats unable to move freely after return to Texas capitol. So one Democrat refuses to move.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Yeah, that's some sort of restriction, against their will, restricting their freedom.

Unlawful restraint.

[Timeflyer]

2. So--how is this legal (if that still matters in TX)?

And Texas dems, no disrespect intended. You are fighting the good fight, don't give up.

[popsdenver]

33. It is, as if

Texas Republicans are acting like the "BORG" in star trek..........with nothing that can stop what amounts to their Republican Anarchy......

Same with the actions intensifying in L.A. along with Washington DC, and coming soon to Denver.......(Trump already publicly stated "DENVER" last week)
Along with any/every BLUE state or city in the entire country.....

Abbott/Texas already bussed FORTY? THOUSAND Mexican immigrants to Denver last fall, to start with........as an act to destroy Colorado and Denver's economies.............and in my opinion, our Governor is a pro corporate republican DINO, and Denver's Mayor is a pathetic joke. Our two U.S. Senators are also milk toast career politicians............Bennett is now spending all his time campaigning for Governor, in Colorado, but not giving up his job as a U.S. Senator in case he fails........????????? Not that he or Hickenlooper have done ANYTHING as our U.S. Senators.........

We are experiencing a ton of new residents coming from Florida and Texas, and I am wondering if, at best, we aren't becoming a Purple State...........

[Timeflyer]

35. Stay blue, Colorado! Hope the FL migrants are escaping Autocracy Laboratory that is FL under DeSeptic and GOP

and aren't the rabid Trumpuglicans who pour into the Sweatstain State because they admire our lousy governor. BTW, thanks for the Star Trek reference. We must show them that our resistance is not futile!

[popsdenver]

36. Exactly

BTW.......I was trying to remember how they defeated the BORG, in spite of resistance is futile.......Anything we could use??????

[Quanto Magnus]

37. The BORG were extremely damaged by future Admiral Janeway

The episode involved Admiral Janeway going back in time with a virus to disrupt communications in the hive mind. This caused a permanent severance of the link to many Borg. There were some other affects on the Borg Queen and elsewise through the collective.


Unfortunately, I don't think we can get a 'virus' into Fox, OANN, Newsmax etc. that would permanently disable communication from them. In this respect, they are far superior to the BORG.

[Midnight Writer]

3. Call 911. Get it on record. Press any applicable charges against The Speaker and the "police escort.

Document and gather evidence. File civil suits against harassment.

Holding these people personally responsible is the only solution. If The Speaker issues an unlawful order, that is a lawsuit. If the cops detain or harass you without cause at The Speaker's behest, that is a lawsuit against the cops.

Where is the ACLU? They have been awfully quiet throughout this slide into fascism. I am starting to regret all the donations I have sent them over the last 50 years.

[Easterncedar]

9. ACLU has taken this admin to court dozens of times already

They have won several significant victories. Please don’t cast doubt on them. We need them.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

16. Where is the ACLU?

Easily answered.

https://www.aclutx.org/

You can even sign up for email updates.

[Exp]

31. Hopefully this Con stunt will cost the TX taxpayers beaucoup bucks in lawsuits! nt

[blogslug]

4. Robert Downen's thread

Robert Downen is a writer for Texas Monthly:

WILD situation in Texas right now: The House Speaker has required Dems, who just returned from their out-of-state quorum break, to have police escorts once they leave the chamber. One Dem is refusing to leave the House floor with escort, and GOP leaders have blocked press access to the chamber.

— Robert Downen (@robertdownen.bsky.social) 2025-08-18T21:03:11.464Z

Here's a RawStory link that contains posts from NBC reporter Ryan Chandler:

https://www.rawstory.com/nicole-collier-texas-house/

NBC News correspondent Ryan Chandler reported that Collier was "locked into the House chamber" because she refused to sign the document.

"Members are really not happy with the individual DPS escorts," Chandler noted. "Say they are not free to move on their own."

"In my heart I don't feel compelled to sign it," Collier told Chandler. "I'll just sit here, I don't know… I guess I'll wait til Wednesday."

Here is Ryan Chandler's x account:

https://x.com/RyanChandlerTV

[applegrove]

5. Thanks for the info.

[pat_k]

7. Way to go TX State Rep. Nicole Collier!

Fort Worth has a gem of a rep!

The asinine TX House leadership really thinks Dept. of Public Safety officers have nothing better to do than "stay glued" to the hips of quorum-breaking Dems?

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/house-democrats-redistricting-20822719.php

[Karasu]

15. They sure do...and they think their idiot voters have nothing better to do with their tax dollars than pay for this

shit.

[orangecrush]

6. Who exactly the fuck

Do these nazis think they are?

[BurnDoubt]

18. NAZIS. What Else?????????

[orangecrush]

25. Yup

[Captain Zero]

27. Nazipublicans is what I've started calling them

They are members of the

NAZIPUBLICAN PARTY.

[es466]

22. The GOP has all but given up on winning voters over with ideas.... it's all about raw power anymore, and nothing else

[orangecrush]

26. This is beyond the pale

[Gore1FL]

8. Fortunately, there are plenty of GOP desks and chairs to function as one-use toilets, since they won't let her leave. nt

[Magoo48]

10. Texas fascism, what a fucking embarrassment.

Texas government is all hat and no cattle.

[Karasu]

12. Yep.

I don't want to see or hear anyone say a fucking word about working with Republicans ever again.

They're literally trying to cement their power forever, by any means possible.

[Maru Kitteh]

17. a thousand times, this

[GiqueCee]

20. Any politician...

... with an (R) after its name has my undying contempt, but not a nano-particle of my respect. One cannot be a Republican and a good person; they are mutually exclusive concepts. And those that try to have it both ways have to make a choice. Even those that may despise Trump and his malignant minions are still complicit as long as they subscribe to the diseased Republican belief system.

[electric_blue68]

11. TX House Speaker IS'NT Law Enforcement!

He shouldn't be able to do this!
😬😬😬😬😬

(yeah, I know 😑 )

[gay texan]

13. saw this coming n/t

[gay texan]

14. If you escape a snake pit unharmed

you don't go back into it......

[wolfie001]

19. Hot Wheels and republiCONS are racist nazi pigs

No other description is more accurate. AND, it's fueled by fundamentalist christianity. I see no way out of this if voters keep allowing it. Good luck America. Nice while it lasted.

[flying_wahini]

21. Texan here.... The GOP have used tactics like this since Ann Richards.

The GOP ONLY stands for themselves and hasn’t represented Texans for decades.
We have been trying to tell people for years and blamed US for being weak and stupid.
Go look back and see what the DNC spent in Texas for the last 20 years and see how they gave up on us years ago.
This particular group of GOPs in Texas will end up calling all the gravy seals and bubbas down there to hassle Every single Dem in elected office. Browbeating and threats/intimidation is who they are.
They lie, cheat and steal every chance they get.

If they walk like a Nazi and quacks like Nazi
then they are Nazis. And they are.

[electric_blue68]

30. Ah, Gov Ann Richards.

I've got a couple of Liberal Texan friends.

But often, too out numbered.

[James48]

23. Yes.

Under Texas law, that is aggravated kidnapping, which is a felony.

[Eliot Rosewater]

28. Not if you're a republican.

The law no longer applies to them.

The traditional methods of reacting to something like this will not work.

[Rebl2]

24. How is

this not kidnapping or being held against your will?

[Exp]

29. Dems would never do this, but it's easy to imagine the outrage if Dems did the same to the Cons. nt

[MayReasonRule]

32. Texas Constitution, Article III: Sec. 14. PRIVILEGE FROM ARREST DURING LEGISLATIVE SESSION

https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:x3rshb7zvrs6nty7gvk2wbyq/post/3lwpeztt6i22r?ref_src=embed&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.democraticunderground.com%252F100220571486

[Mme. Defarge]

34. Habeas Corpus?

[Scalded Nun]

38. She has filed suit. Why not make a criminal complaint to boot? False imprisonment. Kidnapping. Human traficking.

She has broken no laws, unlike the GOP assholes have.