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Texas Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier left a private call with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other leaders this week after reportedly being told it was a felony for her to be on the call while in the Texas Capitol. The bizarre moment illustrated growing tensions in the battle over Texas’s controversial redistricting bill, which Democrats are fighting because they say it violates federal protections for voting.

Collier and the others were on the video call as the Texas House was in session, debating a redistricting bill that Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have pushed. During her time on the call, Collier said the proposed map is a violation of the Voting Rights Act and would dilute the ability of minorities to vote for candidates of their choice.

“This bill will prevent Black and brown individuals from selecting the candidates of their choice because they’re cracking and packing these districts,” Collier said.

Collier was on the call with Newsom, DNC Chair Ken Martin, and others when the Texas House was debating the bill in the other chamber. Martin was speaking when Collier cut in to say she had to leave, saying to the group, “Sorry, I have to leave. They said it’s a felony for me to do this.”

She continued: “Apparently, I can’t be on the floor or in the bathroom.” The lawmaker then directed her words to someone off camera.

“You told me I was only allowed to be here in the bathroom,” Collier said to the individual. She then looked back at the group, cutting off Martin, and said, “No, hang on. Bye everybody. I’ve got to go.” Collier then hung up.

Democratic state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Texas, at center during a hearing on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. (Texas Senate Republican Caucus via AP)

The moment appeared to catch many on the call by surprise, with New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker immediately slamming the situation as “outrageous” and commending Collier for her actions. “Let me tell you something, Rep. Collier in the bathroom has more dignity than Donald Trump in the Oval Office,” Booker said.

Newsom nodded in agreement with Booker, who then doubled down on the Democratic senator’s message. “What they’re trying to do right there is silence an American leader, silence a Black woman, and that is outrageous,” he said. “What we just witnessed, them trying to shut her down and saying it’s illegal for her to be in the bathroom and on this call, this is the lengths that they’re going to in Texas.”

The back-and-forth is over one of the most contentious redistricting fights in the country. In an attempt to block the bill from coming to a vote, dozens of Texas House Democrats fled the state for two weeks in a high-profile showdown with Republican leaders who have said they will arrest the absent members when they return. If members do not return, GOP leaders have also threatened to forcibly remove lawmakers from office.

Democrats finally returned to the Capitol earlier this week. However, Texas House members have since said that the atmosphere at the state Capitol has changed. Several lawmakers, including some who had not fled the state, have said the Texas Department of Public Safety has put officers in place to monitor their movements. Officers have been described as guarding lawmakers’ offices and following them around the state Capitol building.

At least one lawmaker was required to sign “permission slips” to leave the Capitol building because of the new security measures, which were put in place to ensure that the House had a quorum as Republicans push for the legislation to come to a vote.

The bill itself could create up to five new Republican seats in Congress, Democrats say, which would solidify the GOP’s power in those districts for the next decade. The day before Collier’s dramatic exit on the call with Newsom, Democrats in California announced they had created their redistricting plan to combat the Texas bill. The new California congressional map, released Friday, was drawn by Newsom and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and would almost certainly eliminate five Republican seats — effectively wiping out any gains Republicans could make by pushing through their redistricting bill in Texas.

California and Texas are at the heart of a political power play on redistricting as Democrats and Republicans battle for control of Congress in future elections, with each new congressional seat holding increased importance. However, for Democrats, the fight over redistricting in Texas has become both a rallying point for concerns over voting rights and a motivating factor to fight back against what they are claiming is a suppression of minority voting power.