A Fort Worth lawmaker’s sit-in on the Texas House floor picked up steam late Tuesday as fellow Democrats flocked to her side for the second night of her round-the-clock vigil after she refused to allow a state trooper to shadow her until the chamber could vote on a new congressional map.

Republicans in the Texas House forced returning Democrats to around-the-clock surveillance by state Department of Public Safety officers to leave the floor.

Texas House Democrats are 'ripping the slip' to show solidarity with state Rep. Nicole Collier ahead of Wednesday's vote on the controversial Texas congressional redistricting maps.

Collier stayed on the House floor overnight, sleeping in the chamber, alongside two other lawmakers, House Democratic Caucus Chair State Rep. Gene Wu (D-Houston) and State Rep. Vince Perez (D-El Paso).

Texas Democrats have returned to the state capitol after more than two weeks away, but their arrival has sparked new controversy within the Hous