Texas Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier abruptly exited a Zoom call with California Governor Gavin Newsom and other high-ranking Democrats, claiming she was told her participation from a Capitol bathroom during session amounted to a felony.
The Zoom call included not just Newsom, but Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Ken Martin, and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. While the Texas House of Representatives was actively debating a redistricting bill supported by Republicans—and consistent with President Donald Trump’s calls for electoral integrity—Collier joined the out-of-state call to protest what she deemed a civil rights violation.
During the call, Collier claimed the Republican-led redistricting map would violate the Voting Rights Act, stating, “This will prevent black and brown individuals from selecting the candidates of their choice because they’re cracking and packing these districts.” But this worn-out argument ignores the fact that this kind of redistricting happens every 10 years in every state—red and blue—and Texas is simply following standard constitutional procedure.
Roughly 30 minutes into the call, as Martin spoke, Collier suddenly interrupted with, “Sorry, I have to leave. They said it’s a felony for me to do this.” Turning to someone off-camera, she added, “You told me I was only allowed to be here in the bathroom,” before signing off. The drama appeared more staged than spontaneous.
Cue the outrage. Sen. Cory Booker was quick to jump to hyperbole, claiming, “Rep. Collier in the bathroom has more dignity than Donald Trump in the Oval Office.” Newsom nodded along in agreement. Booker escalated the rhetoric further, claiming the episode was an effort to “silence a black woman” and calling the incident “outrageous.”
What Booker and Newsom fail to mention is that the Texas House was in session, debating crucial legislation, and Collier was required by law to be present and attentive to cast her vote—not to be dialing into activist Zoom calls from the restroom. Texas rules bar lawmakers from participating in unrelated business during session, and Collier’s apparent violation may indeed have crossed a legal line.
Just weeks earlier, dozens of Texas Democrats fled the state altogether, breaking quorum in a desperate attempt to stall the redistricting vote. Their absence halted the legislative process for two weeks, forcing Governor Greg Abbott and Republican leaders to call for their arrest and threaten removal from office for dereliction of duty.
When Democrats finally returned to Austin, security was understandably tightened. Texas Department of Public Safety officers monitored lawmakers to ensure quorum was maintained. Democrats complained about “permission slips” and being followed—ignoring the fact that these precautions were necessitated by their own actions.
Despite the drama and delays, the Texas House ultimately approved the redistricting maps on Wednesday—maps designed to reflect population shifts and maintain electoral balance, not disenfranchise voters, as the left claims.
Meanwhile, in a tit-for-tat move, Governor Gavin Newsom and California Democrats released a new map aiming to wipe out five Republican congressional districts in their state. Rather than playing by the rules, California’s Democrats are trying to nullify Texas’ efforts by manipulating their own maps—an attempt to rig the national playing field.
The double standard couldn’t be more obvious. When Republicans in Texas draw legal maps, it’s labeled voter suppression. But when Democrats in California gerrymander GOP districts out of existence, it’s hailed as strategy.
It’s political theater at its worst, and Rep. Collier’s bathroom exit was just another act in the ongoing liberal drama. Texans deserve lawmakers who show up to do their jobs—not those who flee the state or sneak into Zoom calls from behind closed doors.
