Texas Democrat abruptly leaves DNC call after being warned she's committing felony

A Texas Democratic state lawmaker abruptly left a call with Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin and other top party leaders on Wednesday after she was warned she was committing a felony.

“Sorry, I have to leave,” state Rep. Nicole Collier (D) said at one point in the call, interrupting Martin. “They said it’s a felony for me to do this. Apparently I can’t be on the floor or in a bathroom.”

“You told me I was only allowed to be here in the bathroom,” she told someone who was out of view of the camera. “No, hold on — bye everybody, I’ve got to go.”

Collier was participating in the call from inside the Texas Capitol, where the state House was currently moving forward with a vote on a GOP-friendly House map. Democrats had initially fled Texas to block passage of the map but returned earlier this week.

Democrats who wanted to leave and come back to the Capitol in between House meetings could only do so after “agreeing to be released into the custody of a designated DPS officer appointment under the rules of the House,” according to Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R). They also have to sign a form saying they will come back to the state Legislature.

Collier declined to agree to the terms and instead has slept inside the state House in protest.

It was not clear exactly what Collier did that constituted a felony, though the incident angered Democrats on the call.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) blasted the news as “outrageous,” saying “Rep. Collier in the bathroom has more dignity than Donald Trump in the Oval Office."

“That is outrageous. What they're trying to do right there, is silence an American leader, silence a Black woman and that is outrageous,” he added.