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.
Nazi party rules. Maybe the next rule will be incarceration followed by execution, just like Hitler did.
Black legislators placed under law enforcement supervision.
She should sh*t in the speaker’s chair.
Too bad she can’t press charges against the House Speaker.
"No, police generally cannot follow you around without a reason. The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures, including unwarranted surveillance. Police need reasonable suspicion or probable cause to initiate surveillance and follow someone"
But, but, but... this is TEXAS. 🙄
Explain how Texas is an excuse to the term inalienable and Ill bite.
Wow this thread is one of the Bluesky-est threads I’ve ever seen on Bluesky.
It was sarcasm, hence the eye roll emoji.
I was really hoping for a better joke.
It wasn't a joke. It was sarcasm. If you want funny, @dadjoke.bsky.social might be more your speed. ☮️
You dont say?
I suppose they are referring to the myriad ways the rights and norms of previous centuries no longer hold sway in Texas. Turns out all those 'watching and waiting' folks just waited and watched.
Your rights only count so long as the Constitution is upheld and the lawbreakers are punished. The GOP won't convict a cop for a 4th Amendment violation. There's how "inalienable" becomes "alienable."
And also how rights are merely privileges as they can (and are) being taken away. The J6 coup was successful, and we're living during regime change.
It seems like everyone's rights are now subject to the whims of a pedophile... This won't end well
I would have thought Texas was very experienced at making rights, and people, alienable
They really should have seceded. They've bellowed about it enough times.
"They", the very few conservative Republicans that jinned all that up, are a tiny minority of the population of Texas. Thats why they have to cheat the election maps to even have a chance at staying in power. "They" should face a vote of no confidence by the people and be removed from office.
That would be fabulous!!!
The people of Texas need to organize and rally to take over the Capitol and hold the vote instead of standing around on sidewalks with protest signs, IMO.
I dunno who in Texas needs to hear this, but its time to lead the people to the promised land. @thegodpodcast.com
It is time. It has been time.
What are you quoting?
AI, I didnt want to site sources or break it all down beyond that but part of the quote comes from 4 different sources. www.lawyersftp.com/how-far-can-....
The quote doesn't appear on this page. And how can a quote come from 4 different sources?
Its in the first paragraph. I quoted the AI and the response cited 4 sources. Start asking AI your questions. Im not jeeves.
And here I was asking because I was trying to politely assume you hadn't quoted AI like an actual source. Fuck you and your world-destroying bullshit generator. Putting quotes around a ChatGPT answer like it's from a SOURCE.
I dont care what you think about me, AI, or the response because you lack the basic dignity and respect to be a civil human being.
This is oppression. The UN sends blue helmets into countries that do this to their elected officials.
Trump loves getting pissed on. Hopefully she will piss all over these Nazis room.
She should live stream if she is able
Why did they go back in the first place? It was clearly going to end up this way. No assurances can be given in good faith by bad actors.
Texa-SS, the Lone Swastika State.
I don't ever want to hear a gd word when I say that Texas is a shithole state. Texas is a shithole state. By the choice of the voters there, too.
There are actually more Dems than repugs in the Shithole state. It’s just gerrymandered to hell
Not statewide. Statewide elections have gone Republican for 30 years. The rot goes deep in Texas. Sorry.
There's gotta be more to it than gerrymandering considering there's two republican senators from Texas.
Exactly.
Too many Texans can't be bothered to vote and the gop keeps making it harder for people to vote.
Not by the choice of more than 40 percent of voters. That's millions and millions of people. People in red states are fighting on the front lines to save our democracy. They deserve support.
It's Texanistan. Do not go there if you have a choice! But when Abbott & Paxton are no longer in office (even if on parole), Texas can heal & recover.
This is what happens when the dems, like dumbasses, trust the gop. They should have never agreed to come back. But, no, the dumbasses ALWAYS trust the gop. Fuck I hate this place.
Always blame Democrats And Never know what the fuck you are talking about
It costs a lot of money to stay away from home in another state. Moreover, the Texas Leg like most red states doesn't pay enough to support yourself, much less your family. Most legislators in red states are either extremely wealthy, retired, or have regular jobs.
“Wild” indeed
They’re idiots for returning in the first place! These assholes are playing dirty and y’all need to wake the fuck up now!
You ever been a state rep? You know how much they get paid? You know any of them with families?
‘Y’all make millions!!!’ Reality: y’all make $600 a month.
I WISH I made $600 a month.
As a city council member I make $100 a month (but only get paid once a year).
These people have jobs outside the chamger and families. This day was gonna come regardless.
They're racking up $500/day fines that, as of now, they can't fundraise or use campaign funds to pay. They're also being forced to pay for DPS overtime used to track them. Would YOU assume a potential 6 figure debt for standing on principle for a job that pays $600/month?!
You mean like joining the US Army and working 24 hrs a day for Pennie’s on the dollar and possibly lose my life or worse in some war? Sell out democracy for a few dollars more? I wonder where we would be if the guys on Normandy in ‘44 said “hell no we won’t go”?
So they’re under arrest?
WTF
Someone please pull the fire alarm.
Police escorts? Are they being arrested? Where are their lawyers?
I would have walked with my police escort to the federal courthouse, found the duty judge, scribbled out a Complaint and a request for TRO, brought the escort into the hearing room, marked him/her as Exhibit One, and waited for the judge to tell the escort to leave me the f##k alone.
Conservatives are not normal people.
How is this legal??? Is it legal???
It's not, but since when does that make a difference?
Everything we read in "woke" history books is repeating. Weird, huh?
It begs the question of why the fuck did they go back?
Texas is FULL OF NAZIS…wow…remember the Alamo 😂😂
Shades of Mike Pence and Secret Service.
Sorry, who is stupid here?
That certainly does feel legal
Texas is a MAGA Nazi police state. Precisely so.
I assume that in Texas, most Republican voters approve of what the house speaker is doing and you are not telling us about that ?
Where these “Well Organised Militia” when tyranny is being enacted?
Acting like a bunch of children! Grow up or go home!
How enforceable is that "requirement"?
Congrats to Texas Dems for more spineless appeasement. They caved immediately to the GOP’s demands to return and now have a gestapo detail to show for it. They need to understand that republicans are not lawmakers, they’re an invading force of enemies.
You're blocked as well, "Winston."
What
Bullshit. I'm in TX and you are beyond wrong. *plonk*
They stayed away for 2 full weeks, did you think they were gonna do it forever?
I expected them to cave after two days, but strategically I was hoping that they’d do it until they got literally anything of value in return.
They were unfortunately never going to get anything of value. The point was to sound the alarm and buy time, which was pretty successful.
Better than the Texas fascists.
It makes me remember Thelma and Louise were running from Texas.
A "non consensual police escort" = "arrest" if you ask me.
They are in custody
That's a better expression, yes
TX is no longer a democracy. TN, TX and FL are all fighting to be the least democratic state in America. TX seems to be winning right now.
All that matters to Abbott and those thugs is kowtowing to and visuals for Trump
Trying to imagine what would have happened if Dems in OR had tried this when Senate Republicans returned from fleeing to avoid a cap-and-trade law passing several years ago.
Wait, why did they return to just let the GOP vote on the maps anyway? what was the fucking point?
Because they've secured (well, as much as it's going to be til the vote) CA's retaliatory assurances if TX goes ahead. The other alternative was for all of them to just stay away til fucking November. That was never realistic.
That’s like, 3 months away. Our service members get paid peanuts for far longer stretches without luxury hotels or family visits. Bargaining with people who never honor an agreement is stupid, imo. We’re gonna see the Dems do it again with the shutdown, they have one card, & they won’t play it.
Texas legislators get paid a lot less than military members. That's common in red state. Some legislators in my state are on food stamps. Texas reps have outside jobs. Lots of people on all sides of the political divide will whinge about paying legislators more and call it "not a real job."
Oh, 100%. At least national guard members have protections from getting fired for their part time commitments, and it can’t count against their PTO. If you wanna do part time legislators, you need to at least have that. There are certainly exceptions, but this is the effect of these systems.
Right; something or other $500 fines a day; also people away from their homes, families for that long...it's a big awkward ask. I think the CA countermove makes the most sense. Because even if they managed to stay away in TX, the other GOP states moving this way don't have that set-up & can pass it
Did you think they were gonna stay away forever? They’re part-time legislators, they have jobs and homes and families.
It’s not like they were out on the street, they were put up in hotels in Chicago with room service and wifi. I’ve certainly spent 6 month stretches in worse locales away from friends and family. If you’re not gonna go through with it, don’t bother, imo.
So they should have just quit their jobs? Be serious.
A huge problem with the whole “part time legislators who get paid peanuts” concept is that only the wealthy can afford to do it. A 9 to 5 where someone else sets your schedule is incompatible with being in a legislature that can get called at anytime. I doubt any would have to quit.
Like Wisconsin’s, where elected office is fundamentally out of the question if your family relies on your professional salary to make ends meet. So you get a lot reps who are business owners, real estate, lawyers, nepo babies, or have situations where their spouse makes the bank. Sucks.
TX GOP are a bunch of fascist twatwaffles.
Still not clear why they went back in the first place. Have some guts people.
They make$600 per month as part timers. They all have other jobs and families. The fine for staying away is $500 per day. Not sustainable to stay away.
When democracy is at stake I don’t think spending a couple more months away from your family is unreasonable. I’d do it. I’m not sympathetic. This is the job they chose, it didn’t choose them. Let’s be real, these also aren’t folks one paycheck away from living under a bridge. If I could swing it…
Tbh, just because you could swing living in another state for two months, plus losing both your jobs' incomes, plus paying 20k in fines, plus childcare (unless your spouse loses their job too to full-time any kids), plus paying bills etc in Texas, that this is something anyone could do.
Tbh, we’re not talking about folks working a service job to keep the kids fed and the future of our democracy is on the line.
I don't understand why any of them signed this.
the dens should just pack up head back to chicago
republicans think the legislature is a concentration camp and they’re the guards
It's a good couple of days for Democratic lawmakers to take up skydiving, whitewater rafting and spend time at a nudist only resort.
She is amazingly strong!! Thank you!
ditch the cop by climbing out of the ladies room window in a wig
Just fuck theses Texas republicans
Why did they go back?
Republicans will cheat all day and night because everyone expects them to, and then huff and puff the moment Democrats give them a taste of their own medicine.
In-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect, etc.
One MILLION PERCENT 🤬🤬🤬💩🍆
Per an NBC reporter, Rep. Nicole Collier has said she guesses she'll wait to leave until Wednesday, when the House reconvenes.
I'm just curious if all Texas state employees are getting SICK. It must be a virus going around. Maybe y'all should TAKE OFF work until you've been delivered. Check on your coworkers and make sure they know.
I would piss in every air conditioning unit in the building, but that’s just me.
Hope she brought her toothbrush
More from a Houston Chron reporter who was in the gallery before it was closed:
False imprisonment. It’s a crime in most locales. Maybe it’s not in Texas. 🤷♀️
Feels like fascism.
Feels like kidnapping with false imprisonment. Call the police. Get it on record. Call your attorneys.
This is unlawful. In most places its called "false imprisonment." It is similar to kidnapping. It is a felony.
That final line in the second image Sends a cold chill
Sounds like Texas magats are holding dems hostage 🤦🏼♀️
@alt-text.bsky.social
This is some major lunacy on the part of Texas Republicans!
Good for her, I hope she's able to hold out.
How is it that she is the only one brave enough to take a stand? Why aren't ALL the Dems with her in that chamber?
Aggravated kidnapping First-degree felony (typically): involving additional elements like ransom demands, using a weapon, causing serious bodily injury, or kidnapping a child. Penalties (first-degree felony): Prison time: 5 to 99 years, or potentially life imprisonment. Fine: Up to $10,000.
Aggravated kidnapping First-degree felony (typically): involving additional elements like ransom demands, using a weapon, causing serious bodily injury, or kidnapping a child. Penalties (first-degree felony): Prison time: 5 to 99 years, or potentially life imprisonment. Fine: Up to $10,000.
Totally illegal to take elected officials hostage
How the fuck is this not KIDNAPPING.
This has got to be illegal. SCOTUS, where are you? How long can this horror continue? Will you let him prevent fair elections as well?
call the cops, file criminal complaints against the pubes.
Can Americans now accept the fact that they are in the middle of a fascist coup? Wakey wakey!
I've known for months. Timothy Snyder told us, quite clearly.
That makes her a political prisoner of the state of Texas.
This seems like this authoritarian power grab is going really well for them.
Fuck the GOP
#evergreen
This is what happens when you put teenage bullies in charge.
Texas Dems clearly accomplished nothing by leaving the state for a brief spell.
They bought Newsom enough time to make his case for redistricting, offer to back off if TX did, and gather enough support to redraw the lines in CA. Not too shabby.
Are there any tv networks or newspapers in TX covering this? They should be!
Authoritarian bs
💙💙💙WTF IS THIS STILL AMERICA
So, the other Democrats AGREED & SIGNED ? How is that not the bigger story ? How is this legally defensible?
All while the Texas Governors phone number leads to a scam call center instead of his office
Democracy, redneck Texas style
What happens if she tries to leave? Are they going to physically restrain her? Let the rest of the country see the shameful actions of the Texas MAGA party.
Half the country would cheer. The other half already knows how shameful the fascists are.
Oh I don’t know about that… I would say there is half the country that couldn’t be bothered to give a shit for the last election so maybe some images of brute violence can get them to pay attention and understand this isn’t “just politics” anymore - at least that is my hope🤞
Every display of brutality makes this harder to sustain. Who knows when it reaches the point of changing minds but the polls say that plenty of the GOP faithful don't like this. It doesn't have to be many--they're already a minority!
Mental stagnation and inaction due to repeated national traumas, that’s the 21st century.
They all should stand together as one
This could turn into a literal shit show.
Texas politics are badly broken, and aren’t serving their citizens. Really disgusting, gut-wrenching, stuff.
It's supposed to be three branches of government not three rings of circus.
Minders?
What is the authority for this act? Just another case of the Republicans granting themselves authority they never had under the law?
Pretty sure that is false imprisonment.
Not good for biz, wait and see. Next thing will be companies having trouble recruiting people, getting them to move there.
👆 this!
Republicans have turned Texas into a trump shithole.
Can this brave Texas Dem get a writ of habeus corpus? Or charge the Texas House Speaker with kidnapping?
Is there any sort of LAW giving the Speaker that power?
Most Texans LOVE this kinda performative shit.
Most Texans are DEMOCRATS not Rethuglicans. It’s very successfully gerrymandered.
This is an easy fix Set off a smoke bomb or firework somewhere in, on or near the state building Call the Fire Dept Tell them there's a a woman trapped inside
Isn’t this illegal. Being held against your will. A form of kidnapping.
Wake up MAGA, you're the confederacy and the nazis.
They know. This is all going according to their plan.
In California we'll be asking the people to vote on it in a free election. I guess that's not the way Texas Republicans do things.
I sort of wish we were more TX in this because what Newsom is asking of us is not polling well, we may not get it
Huh? What polls?
This www.politico.com/news/2025/08...
First off Politico is a rightwing hack operation. Secondly, they weren’t polling on the actual ballot proposal but support for the independent redistricting commission. The ballot proposal is a separate matter - internals show it with majority support already - Politico is trying to muddy the water
That's really good to hear! I have faith in California But am losing faith in the country if that makes sense
Texas, a mess of a police state
Definitely a crisis of legitimacy, this body cannot govern or discharge the duties it is elected to perform
So they're kidnapping legislators?
Holding her against her will? Sounds like kidnapping.
And what exactly are the duties and responsibilities of these escorts? Are they supposed to admonish, chase, hinder, handcuff? Who are they? Are they DPS? Assistant Sargeants at Arms? Rangers? Surely not APD…
/2 DPS officers are the who, according to a couple of sources. Which law allows the Department of Public Safety to enforce House Rules is as yet unclear to me, tho. What those DPS officers are permitted or required to do is still unclear in any reporting I've found
Yeah, we were *there*, and it was a total mystery. We were told to call the Speaker of the House (or whatever the title is) and prevail upon him to change the House rules, and we were not told that legal action to secure her release was immediately forthcoming. It's just thuggist bullshit.
Straight East German Stasi shit
Designate a specific desk where they can all pee I guess?
Mark their territory
Call the police. That's kidnapping.
What… what is the context for this??
That's kidnapping or unlawful detainment.
that’s an assault.
So the others agreed? WTF?! 😳
God I pray that you help us to call out the evil power hungry people and make them suffer the truth & stop suppressing any fellow American citizen in this country. Also to my Republican citizens I wish you no happiness going forward. I want you to suffer pain as you destroy this nation from within
GOP: Hurry everyone! Our polling in Texas is in the toilet after drowning the children. The final solution is to round up the Democrats.
Have the controlling majority in the Texas House done anything about helping Kerr County survivors yet? That was ostensibly the OTHER reason for calling the special session.
Not a goddamn thing AFAIK. They don't want to admit that they were the ones who fucked up all the possible things that could have made the flooding less catastrophic and they have to play politics with our congressional districts before literally anything else apparently 🙄🤬
This is exactly what's happening. Their policies are so wildly unpopular that the only way they can get their way is through violence and cheating—something these pedos are quite good at.
It’s Texas. Of course they do stupid shit.
Who the fuck do these Republicans think they are?!
Nazi guards. Trumps brown shirts.
I mean the proper response to kidnapping is defending one self, in Texas, up through lethal means...Hopefully saying the obvious doesn't get the Bluesky Nazi loving criminals angry with me again, but I 100% believe the response to this should be Stand Your Ground
this is to-the-letter-of-its-writing the definition of "kidnapping" btw
Another example of the "Imagine if Democrats..." scenarios.
Violence is completely justified.
Roughly 50% of TX didnt vote in 2024. 60% of Hispanic Texans did not vote. Voter suppression at its finest. Some statisticians posit that there are actually more registered Democrats in TX than registered Republicans. But the way the state registers voters makes it hard to say for sure.
Kidnapping? Holding against their will? Interfering with a government official business? Must be a crime in there somewhere.
So, basically held hostage.
Why didn’t a bunch of male reps make a circle around her and walk her out? What are the guards going to do? Wrestle them all to the ground? LET THEM. Get it on camera. Then sue the snot out of everybody. You all were brave last week, it’s a lot to keep asking but please keep on being brave.
WHY THE FUCK DID THEY RETURN TO TEXAS???
Fascists run Texas
Holy shit.
Sounds like kidnapping by the vicious thugs in the Texas GOP.
Wow Texas sounds like those “third world shitholes” I’ve heard so much about.
We are in a coup. How many more things need to happen?
before what
You know what
Before civil war breaks out in your country and folks start taking to the streets.
It is a civil war now. We are in the streets. DC is out every night. Texas may take longer. We celebrate Labor Day differently than other countries and our day is coming up and it makes a good protest day for big numbers.
we don’t have an army
We ARE an army.
I found this oddly encouraging
How is this a coup? I swear, the hyperventilating is exhausting.
The definition of a coup: 'a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics and especially the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group'. If others expressing serious concern about what's happening is making you exhausted you're probably part of the problem.
so "House" arrest??
Absolute NAZI behavior. Typical of MAGA. We can't let this fascist minority group take over.
wtf!?
The TX speaker is a fascist and white nationalist! Jim Crow is alive and well in TX.
In the end, they caved! They had most of the US supporting them.
I mean, they have lives.
How it started... First concentration camp, Dachau was built in 1933 for Hitler's political opponents, the unemployed and homeless. US has decided to include immigrants
Why did any of the Dems sign that stupid form?? The lack of balls from this party is beyond maddening.
You'll notice the black woman did the right thing.
Of course she did, she understands the assignment. The rest of them... 🤷
Burn 🔥 the slips. Hostile work environment.
Bunch of Bull! Pull the plug on this right now.
Sounds like a kidnapping to me!
False imprisonment.
This is what democracy looks like?
No Dem should have signed such a blatantly unlawful agreement. NOT ONE.
The Republican party doesn’t want witnesses to their crimes.
