Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier abruptly ended a virtual press call with Sen. Cory Booker, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin on 20 Aug. after a House official warned her she could be committing a felony by appearing on camera from a restroom inside the state Capitol. Collier had been confined to the House chamber under an order requiring Democratic lawmakers to remain in the building after they returned from an 18-day walkout designed to deny Republicans a quorum on a mid-decade congressional redistricting bill. She said she had been told she could only move between the floor, the members’ lounge and an adjacent bathroom, where she joined the FaceTime session. Texas law classifies non-consensual video recording in a public restroom as a potential felony. Republican members cited the statute when ordering Collier off the call; Collier later called the warning an intimidation tactic meant to silence dissent. “They’re trying to silence people who disagree with them,” she told MSNBC after being permitted to leave the chamber the following day. Hours after the incident, the Republican-controlled House approved the new congressional map on an 88–52 party-line vote. The plan, championed by former President Donald Trump, is projected to give the GOP up to five additional competitive seats in the 2026 elections. Democrats said they will challenge the map in court, while Newsom indicated California may pursue its own partisan redraw in response.