Kamala Harris personally called Texas State Representative Nicole Collier on Tuesday, Aug. 19, offering words of encouragement as the Fort Worth lawmaker staged a marathon stand inside the Texas Capitol.
Collier has spent more than 30 hours on the House floor, refusing to submit to what she described as “police state tactics” by Republican leadership.
During the phone call, which was placed on loudspeaker, Harris told Collier:
“You are those who history will reveal to have been heroes of this moment. You just stay strong and do what you are doing. You have the right instinct. You are talented and you are principled.”
Collier, visibly moved, thanked Harris and expressed how much the support meant to her community.
“The fact that you care and took the time to pay attention to the people—it matters. It really matters,” Collier said.
The confrontation comes as Collier challenges what she describes as “illegal restraint by the government.” According to court filings, she alleges she has been unlawfully confined inside the Capitol after refusing to sign a “permission slip” that would place her under escort by the Texas Department of Public Safety. She spent the night sleeping on the House floor rather than comply.
The dispute is tied to the ongoing Democratic effort to resist GOP-led redistricting measures.
Earlier this month, dozens of Democrats fled the state to block a vote on the proposed congressional map. Many have since returned, but some—including Collier—say they will not yield to police escorts designed to guarantee their attendance in the chamber.
In a habeas corpus filing in Austin, Collier’s attorneys argued that she is facing “illegal confinement.”
Collier has also said that several of her colleagues tore up their escort permission slips and plan to join her protest inside the House chamber.
“This is unreasonable, un-American, and unnecessary,” Collier said in an interview, vowing to continue her stand.
For Harris, the standoff represents a broader battle over voting rights and political representation, one that she framed as a historic test of democracy.
“When it feels like you are the only one there, we are all in that room with you,” she told Collier.
As Collier summed up after the call:
“What we do matters. People are watching, and they are ready to hold this government accountable. Get fired up, get ready, and vote.”
