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Texas State Representative Nicole Collier has emerged as a key figure in the state’s ongoing electoral map controversy. On Aug. 18, Collier was confined to the House floor after refusing to sign what lawmakers described as a “permission slip” authorizing law enforcement to monitor her movements around the state Capitol. The requirement was part of a broader effort by Republican leaders to regain control of the legislative process after Democrats staged a walkout to delay a vote on redistricting.

Collier, a Democrat representing Fort Worth, is now unable to leave the Capitol without police supervision and may only move between her office and the House floor under escort, CNN reports. As previously reported, her refusal to submit to the agreement has made her a standout voice in the dispute, which began when she and Texas Democrats left the state to deny Republicans the quorum needed to push through a new electoral map favoring GOP-held districts. In response, Governor Greg Abbott issued civil arrest warrants for the absent lawmakers and immediately called for a second special session when the first concluded without a vote.

While most returning Democrats complied with the new monitoring requirements, Collier did not. She remains on the House floor,  an example of her commitment to the protest and her unwillingness to concede under pressure. Beyond this high-profile standoff, Collier’s story is deeply rooted in resilience and trailblazing leadership.

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1. She was the first woman elected to represent Texas’ House District 95.

She is the first woman ever elected to represent House District 95 in Tarrant County, according to her bio on the Texas House of Representatives website. She assumed office in 2013 and was reelected to serve again in 2022. Her path to public service was not conventional; she was a teenage mother of two, completing high school while raising her children. With the support of her family and unwavering faith, she pursued higher education, earning degrees from the University of Houston and Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, now part of Texas A&M.

The post Beyond The Ballot: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Nicole Collier appeared first on MadameNoire.