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Speaker 2: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Hello, And I
Speaker 2: was on mute the whole time I was talking.
Speaker 3: That's all right, Angela House.
Speaker 2: Saying you all.
Speaker 1: We were going to be joined by state represented in
Speaker 1: the Cole call Yer, who is joining us live from
Speaker 1: the House floor of Texas. As you can see, she
Speaker 1: is being held hostage essentially by the Texas Department of
Speaker 1: Public Safety. She represents District ninety five. Nicole, Thank you
Speaker 1: so much for joining us. Please tell us what is happening.
Speaker 1: Why are you the sole member remaining on the House floor.
Speaker 1: How did we get here?
Speaker 4: So, Angela, thank you for having me on. You know,
Speaker 4: when I start woke up this morning, it was my
Speaker 4: intent to return to the Capitol with my colleagues in
Speaker 4: the House, the Democrats, because we were successful in getting
Speaker 4: California to agree to file maps that would counter or
Speaker 4: neutralize the five seats that Trump asked Abbott, our governor
Speaker 4: to pass. So we came back to Texas to continue
Speaker 4: to fight. What that fight looked like, I didn't know
Speaker 4: at the time, but when we got here there was
Speaker 4: a call in the house, meaning that you can't leave
Speaker 4: the floor unless you get a permission slip to leave,
Speaker 4: like you're in high school.
Speaker 3: And so what the speaker did was say.
Speaker 4: That he said that anybody who wants to leave the
Speaker 4: floor had to get a permission slip and be agreed
Speaker 4: to be followed by a DPS officer to ensure your return.
Speaker 4: Our return on Wednesday at ten am at the time.
Speaker 4: In this moment, I disagree in my heart it's wrong.
Speaker 4: This is so wrong. These maps are wrong. This is wrong,
Speaker 4: and this is how I am resisting. I know that
Speaker 4: it takes it only takes seventy six votes to pass
Speaker 4: a bill. Here we only have sixty two Democrats, so
Speaker 4: we know we're not going to win when it comes
Speaker 4: down to voting. But I just can't stand by. In
Speaker 4: my heart, this is wrong, and this is my way
Speaker 4: of trying to express my resistance. I didn't intend to
Speaker 4: do this. In fact, I'm not even prepared. I just
Speaker 4: know that I'm here right now in this moment, and
Speaker 4: I'm against it. And they know no bounds when it
Speaker 4: comes to what they want. They want these maps so bad.
Speaker 4: We were told that they're going to pass these maps
Speaker 4: today we just got back restored Quorm.
Speaker 3: It was restored.
Speaker 4: I wasn't part of that initial restoration because I refuse
Speaker 4: to help them get to any closer to what they want.
Speaker 4: But because they have the numbers now, they have the
Speaker 4: korum today at five o'clock, in less than fifteen minutes,
Speaker 4: going to pass these maps and they'll probably be up
Speaker 4: on the House for a vote for the full House
Speaker 4: to vote on by Wednesday.
Speaker 1: And what do you say to the folks who would say,
Speaker 1: you know, this is something that you walked into right
Speaker 1: you were you were safer maybe when you were out
Speaker 1: of Texas, and now because you went back to Texas,
Speaker 1: you know that the governor was talking about creating unlawful
Speaker 1: warrants to go and get you all. So when they
Speaker 1: say what would you expect when you go back to
Speaker 1: the House floor, what would you have expected?
Speaker 2: What do you say to.
Speaker 4: That, Well, it's not that I didn't expect them to
Speaker 4: keep the call on the House, of course, but that
Speaker 4: doesn't mean that I have to agree to it. I
Speaker 4: knew that they were going to, you know, pass the maps,
Speaker 4: but that doesn't mean that I just go along. I
Speaker 4: mean I want them to know my constituents elected me
Speaker 4: to be a fighter, and this is how I am fighting.
Speaker 4: I'm not I'm not I'm not surprised so much, but
Speaker 4: I'm disappointed. I wish more Democrats would have stayed with me,
Speaker 4: uh and resisted, because that's a way to show. But
Speaker 4: I'm getting a lot of support from my colleagues on this.
Speaker 1: When you're saying you wish they would have stayed with you,
Speaker 1: are you saying you wish that they wouldn't have agreed
Speaker 1: to the parole officer? In e fact, having a DPS
Speaker 1: member follow them. The permission slip that they had to
Speaker 1: get signed meant that a DPS officer followed them.
Speaker 2: Is that what you mean?
Speaker 3: Well, I'm just surprised nobody else thought to like refuse
Speaker 3: to sign. I mean, why not?
Speaker 1: Were there other members of the Texas Black Caucus who
Speaker 1: signed the permission slip?
Speaker 4: Well, it's my understanding that those who did come all sign.
Speaker 4: That's why they're not here.
Speaker 2: How many how many Black legislators.
Speaker 4: Returned, I'm not sure how many return I know Representatives
Speaker 4: I Davis did not return to the floor. Representive Gjilanda
Speaker 4: Jones did not return to the floor. Representative Ron Reynolds
Speaker 4: did not return to the floor. Representative Harold Dutton and
Speaker 4: Charlene Johnson Ward Lauren Simmons, those representatives, they did not
Speaker 4: come to the floor.
Speaker 2: What made you come to the floor today, Well, there were.
Speaker 4: Some rules that could have been passed if they didn't
Speaker 4: have enough Democrats on the floor to fight against it.
Speaker 4: So we had a certain number that we needed and
Speaker 4: I was coming to fight to oppose and resist any
Speaker 4: type of rule changes, but we needed a certain number
Speaker 4: of Democrats to be on the floor for that, and
Speaker 4: that's what I was coming back for, to prevent the
Speaker 4: passage or the easy passage of changing of the rules
Speaker 4: in the House.
Speaker 1: What were the rule changes that they were try attempting
Speaker 1: to pass today.
Speaker 4: Well, I mean, you have to have a bill to
Speaker 4: lay out for about twenty four hours before you could
Speaker 4: take it up on the floor, and so there was
Speaker 4: a possibility that they could have suspended the constitutional rules
Speaker 4: to do that and brought the bill up tomorrow morning
Speaker 4: or you know, even later today. But we were able
Speaker 4: to hold that and you know, prevent that from happening
Speaker 4: because we had sufficient numbers. So that's what I came
Speaker 4: back for. That was the way that we fought there.
Speaker 4: But of course they have a lot of things that
Speaker 4: they can do because they have the votes, and we
Speaker 4: need more people to vote so that we can have
Speaker 4: better outcomes for us. But this is my way of saying, no.
Speaker 1: Where do you anticipate happening? So you didn't sign the
Speaker 1: permission slip to have a DPS officer accompany you, Where
Speaker 1: do you go from here? How long do you think
Speaker 1: you'll be on the house floor? And what happens if
Speaker 1: you defy that structure and you leave anyway?
Speaker 2: What happens?
Speaker 4: So we're set to come back Wednesday morning at ten am.
Speaker 4: That's the next time the House is going to convene.
Speaker 4: I anticipate that's when how long I'll be here unless
Speaker 4: there's some change. I know that there's some lawyers, lawyers
Speaker 4: working on a court order to have me released, so
Speaker 4: to speak. So it's at least till Wednesday. And what
Speaker 4: was your last question?
Speaker 3: After that?
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, well, and what do you I'll change it? Actually,
Speaker 1: what do you anticipate happening between now and then? If
Speaker 1: you were to leave without signing that permission slip?
Speaker 2: What happens?
Speaker 4: Could be subject to arrest? Yes, absolutely, I could be
Speaker 4: subject to arrest. In fact, I did ask the DPS
Speaker 4: officer if I was free to leave, and I was
Speaker 4: told that I was not unless I signed the permission
Speaker 4: slip that would allow a DPS officer allowed me to
Speaker 4: be released into the custody of a DPS officer. I'm
Speaker 4: not a criminal. I didn't do anything wrong. I have
Speaker 4: a right to deny quorum. I have a right to resist.
Speaker 4: Every one of us have a right to resist peacefully.
Speaker 4: And when you see something that's wrong, you got to
Speaker 4: stand up to it. We cannot in this state, in
Speaker 4: this world, allow people to.
Speaker 3: Just roll over us. So I mean, we've got to.
Speaker 4: Display some form of resistance because if we don't, then
Speaker 4: we'll wake up and things will be so different and
Speaker 4: we won't have the ability to even use our voice.
Speaker 3: So we've got to take a stand while we can.
Speaker 1: Well, And let me ask you this, because I think
Speaker 1: this is something that I'm very curious about. I was
Speaker 1: one of the people saying I didn't think you all
Speaker 1: should go back.
Speaker 2: I anticipated that they would go.
Speaker 1: Above the law, beyond the law, all the ways that
Speaker 1: we've seen vigilantes operate throughout American history. Right, I knew
Speaker 1: that they were going to target you all the ways
Speaker 1: that are unprecedented. And are you experiencing or feeling any
Speaker 1: regret at coming back home to face this kind of
Speaker 1: madness I think, which is almost worse than which experience leaving.
Speaker 4: No, I don't regret coming back because we have to
Speaker 4: set the record, get a legal record for the fight
Speaker 4: if you don't. In order to deny quorum, you need
Speaker 4: to make sure that there's less than one hundred. They
Speaker 4: were two members away from getting one hundred, so it
Speaker 4: was bound to happen. So there's no reason for me
Speaker 4: not to show up when they have a quorum. And
Speaker 4: so I showed up once a quorum was established, and
Speaker 4: I came here to fight, and I came here to
Speaker 4: you know, you know, do as much as I can
Speaker 4: in terms of trying to amend the bill, deny the bill, whatever.
Speaker 4: But no, I don't regret coming back because they have
Speaker 4: a quorum and things are going to continue on with
Speaker 4: or without that member. So I'd rather be here letting
Speaker 4: them know where I stand and how I feel about
Speaker 4: this racist gerrymandered map that they have set.
Speaker 3: We're two blacks. There's going to be two black blacks.
Speaker 4: That will lose their seat so and then they're trying
Speaker 4: to pit the black and brown people. So in my area,
Speaker 4: I represent an area in Arrant County and Congressman VC
Speaker 4: has Arrant County and he has a little bit of
Speaker 4: Dallas County. His seat is on the chopping block, and
Speaker 4: so what they intend to do is pit him against Latino.
Speaker 4: And that's the way to drive a wedge into our communities.
Speaker 4: The momentum that we're building together as the black and
Speaker 4: brown people. They just try to find a way to
Speaker 4: drive a wedge into that and divide us. But we
Speaker 4: are keeping it together because we know that this is
Speaker 4: all uh uh. We know it's all smoke and mirrors
Speaker 4: because it's they're trying to get more power. Another thing
Speaker 4: is in terms of another seat in Houston, they are
Speaker 4: reducing one of the seats there and that's another seat
Speaker 4: that it's traditionally been held by African American and I
Speaker 4: just we gotta do something about that. I mean, even
Speaker 4: if they pass them, they're going I'm gonna go down swinging,
Speaker 4: point blank. Even if i have to go down, I'm
Speaker 4: swinging the whole way and I'm not going to give up.
Speaker 3: And that's what my constituents sent me here.
Speaker 1: For earlier, you referenced the California maps, the fact that
Speaker 1: Governor Newsom has taken some action, and that was one
Speaker 1: of the precursors for some of you at least to return.
Speaker 1: What do you say to the people who say, that's
Speaker 1: great for California, but what does that have to do
Speaker 1: with folks who need representation from black and brown folks
Speaker 1: in Texas. How do you respond to that?
Speaker 3: Well, that's true.
Speaker 4: I mean, what we're trying to do is in terms
Speaker 4: of the national stage, to neutralize the five added Republican
Speaker 4: seats that would disenfranchise black and brown people in Texas
Speaker 4: by neutralizing it by gaining five Democratic seats in California
Speaker 4: and hope that those Democrats that they get in California
Speaker 4: won't do Trump's bidding.
Speaker 3: That's what we're trying to do.
Speaker 4: We're trying to make sure that we can neutralize it
Speaker 4: because we see what Trump is doing in terms of
Speaker 4: reducing food access to food. Everything's going up, vegetables are
Speaker 4: going up, eggs are going up, and so if we
Speaker 4: don't put people in place who will stand up against him,
Speaker 4: then we'll see this whole world burned down. I mean literally,
Speaker 4: that's how Grand America. The impact that America has in
Speaker 4: this world, in this universe is that we have far
Speaker 4: reaching implications and so when we do bad or when
Speaker 4: we fail, others will also fail. So in terms of
Speaker 4: what Texas is doing, yes, in Texas, we don't have
Speaker 4: the numbers to stop it.
Speaker 3: It is very unfortunate.
Speaker 4: If we can get people to vote and get even
Speaker 4: Republicans to see that, you don't want to be a
Speaker 4: part of.
Speaker 3: A regime that.
Speaker 4: Ignores or or purposely tries to erase voters, that rig things,
Speaker 4: because one day it's going to be you. Today it's Democrats,
Speaker 4: today is blacks, today's browns, but.
Speaker 3: One day it will be you.
Speaker 4: If you're not on their ship, on board with what
Speaker 4: they're doing, they will eliminate you too. Trump has shown
Speaker 4: us time and time again, just like he did with
Speaker 4: the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the person who said that
Speaker 4: our job numbers, we had high unemployment.
Speaker 3: He fired that person.
Speaker 4: So do we want a nation that's going to mislead
Speaker 4: the public, that's going to remove and eliminate necessary services. No,
Speaker 4: So we try to find ways to combat that. And
Speaker 4: what we see is trying to get other states and
Speaker 4: maybe these governors in Republican states will say no, I
Speaker 4: believe in democracy. I believe in the votes or the
Speaker 4: chips falling where they may, and so I'm not going
Speaker 4: to interfere. I'm not going to interfere with the public's
Speaker 4: right to vote and choose the candidate of their choice.
Speaker 4: And that's what I'm hoping and all of us are
Speaker 4: hoping will happen.
Speaker 1: So the other thing that you brought up, and I
Speaker 1: know you have been following, you have to with all
Speaker 1: the conversation around this racist redistricting scheme in Texas. Just
Speaker 1: last week, the Fifth Circuit ruled in favor of a
Speaker 1: Louisiana plaintiff who said, listen, our voices have been diluted
Speaker 1: to the point where it's unconstitutional. They relied on what
Speaker 1: is left of the Voting Rights Act in the sixtieth Anniversary,
Speaker 1: which is Section two. You reference that democratic seats could
Speaker 1: be picked up in California. But what do you say
Speaker 1: to the folks to say, listen, that's great, but they're
Speaker 1: not necessarily black and brown seats, which is what is
Speaker 1: going to go missing in Texas. These are the seats
Speaker 1: that we have to protect. These are the seats that
Speaker 1: we know can withstand that challenge so far, at least
Speaker 1: in the court.
Speaker 2: I don't know what's going to happen when we get.
Speaker 1: This to the court, but so far, what we know
Speaker 1: they have not, you know, ruled in the other sides
Speaker 1: favor on, is racist redistricting. It has been on political redistricting.
Speaker 1: So what Gavin Newsom's response is is political redistricting and gerrymandering.
Speaker 1: What do you say to the folks that may say, listen,
Speaker 1: this doesn't really make up for what we know we
Speaker 1: need to have in California or in Ohio where they're
Speaker 1: talking about this, or Florida where they're talking about this.
Speaker 4: Sure, so political redistricting, partisan redistricting has been found to
Speaker 4: be constitutional. Racial gerrymandering or racial drawing of the lines
Speaker 4: is unconstitutional. What's happening in Texas is unconstitutional, is what
Speaker 4: my allegations are.
Speaker 3: And that's what the Democrats stand by.
Speaker 4: Because they disenfranchised or they harm black and brown people,
Speaker 4: because they chop up our communities, they pack communities of
Speaker 4: color so that they don't have a voice in the
Speaker 4: other communities where they really belong. In terms of the
Speaker 4: California picking up five Democratic seats, look Democrats believe in
Speaker 4: people having opportunities, people having access to food, being paid
Speaker 4: fair wages.
Speaker 3: They believe Democrats believe.
Speaker 4: In access to health care, abortion, health care as well,
Speaker 4: and second chances for those who have been justice involved.
Speaker 3: That's what the party is about.
Speaker 4: So if I got to go to California to take
Speaker 4: a white person that believes in the democratic values that
Speaker 4: I believe in, then I'm okay with that. That's because
Speaker 4: we can neutralize that in Washington.
Speaker 1: Yeah, what, what's the thing that you want people to
Speaker 1: know at home? For folks who are like, what is
Speaker 1: redistricting anyway? What is Jerry manderin? Why should I care?
Speaker 1: To your point, I can't afford my groceries. I don't
Speaker 1: know where the next cause of harm is coming. My
Speaker 1: kid lives in DC, and I'm worried about if they're
Speaker 1: going to survive this unconstitutional takeover DC. How do you
Speaker 1: get folks to pay attention to this really critical issue
Speaker 1: in this time?
Speaker 4: Well, typically in elections, the voters choose the outcome. But
Speaker 4: what Trump is asking is for the candidate or the
Speaker 4: elected official to choose the outcome, so the voters won't
Speaker 4: have a choice because he's already made it for you,
Speaker 4: so your vote with the way when they pack you
Speaker 4: into these districts, they already know. They're like, okay, you
Speaker 4: can have that one representative, but I want three more
Speaker 4: for us. And so this is them choosing the outcome
Speaker 4: of the race instead of you the people, your one vote,
Speaker 4: one voice. So that's where we have a problem when
Speaker 4: they are choosing the outcome, not us as people of voters.
Speaker 4: That's what the problem is. And I again, Angela, I
Speaker 4: did not intend to do this today, and my emotions
Speaker 4: are raw.
Speaker 3: I'm very literally, I feel like this is wrong.
Speaker 4: I may not even be expressing it as clearly as
Speaker 4: I could be when my mind would be open and clear,
Speaker 4: but my heart is hardened. I mean, I just feel like,
Speaker 4: what's going on, it's wrong, and this was the best.
Speaker 3: Way for me to do it by refusing to.
Speaker 4: Do what they say in terms of signing a paper
Speaker 4: and being released into custody of DPS. I'm not a
Speaker 4: criminal again, So I hope that I'm expressing the urgency
Speaker 4: that we as voters need to look at this what's
Speaker 4: going on in Texas. We see that they will do
Speaker 4: whatever it takes to get what they want. They will
Speaker 4: change the rules, they will rid things, They will cheat
Speaker 4: just to get what they want at our expense. I'm
Speaker 4: a person, we are all people. We have rights and
Speaker 4: freedoms and liberties. So you can't shut me up and
Speaker 4: you can't take my vote. Yeah, and that's where i'm today.
Speaker 1: I want to tell you just because you were saying
Speaker 1: that one you didn't expect to do this today, and
Speaker 1: two your emotions are raw, which is understandable. One you
Speaker 1: all have not really rested because you've been trying your
Speaker 1: best to put together and kind of cobble together the
Speaker 1: fight as best you could when you really saw what
Speaker 1: was on the horizon. There are folks in the comments
Speaker 1: saying thank you for fighting for us, and they're saying
Speaker 1: thanks for the fight, and.
Speaker 2: Other folks are saying you won't win in the courts.
Speaker 2: We don't know.
Speaker 1: Only time will tell, but there's a lot of thank yous,
Speaker 1: including run from Texas AFLCIO. And So I think in
Speaker 1: this moment where you're standing on the house floor essentially
Speaker 1: being held hostage, her phone is going off because the
Speaker 1: people are worried about her.
Speaker 2: But while you're being held.
Speaker 1: Hostage essentially on the floor because you won't sign something
Speaker 1: allowing you to have a probation or parole officer basically
Speaker 1: following you from the Texas Department of Public Service. You
Speaker 1: might be there on the floor alone, but outside and
Speaker 1: in this virtual community, you are by far not alone,
Speaker 1: and so people want you to continue the fight.
Speaker 2: However that looks.
Speaker 1: You know, a lot of times people disagree on the means,
Speaker 1: but if the end goal is the same, hopefully we
Speaker 1: can find solidarity on preserving what is in our best
Speaker 1: interest for the end goal. I wanted y'all to stay
Speaker 1: out because I did not want y'all to be kidnapped
Speaker 1: on the house.
Speaker 3: But it takes more than one to stay out with it.
Speaker 1: I know you're right, it does, and so then you
Speaker 1: have to make calculations. Math has to math to your point.
Speaker 1: And so now here we are, and I think that
Speaker 1: it is important that you you know you continue the fight,
Speaker 1: that you know that you are being lifted up, I think,
Speaker 1: prayed for and covered and encouraged by these people in
Speaker 1: the comments. And most importantly, even when they told you
Speaker 1: you cannot be on air from the house floor, that
Speaker 1: you said, no, you're going to hear my voice. You're
Speaker 1: going to hear my story. And if you're gonna be
Speaker 1: down there until Wednesday. Make sure y'all send stay representative
Speaker 1: Nicole Callier all the love on her Instagram and wherever
Speaker 1: else they can reach you. Do you want to tell
Speaker 1: people where they can reach you right now?
Speaker 3: Well, my just Instagram. I don't. I'm on the house floor.
Speaker 3: There's certain rules that we got to do.
Speaker 1: Yes, and we are breaking some of them now.
Speaker 3: So Instagram, wait, you see me?
Speaker 4: Keep looking around because I'm like, uh, who comes?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, I'm wondering, Like, so you literally don't
Speaker 1: want her physically restrained. They've already kept her on the
Speaker 1: floor and maybe until Wednesday. If you all can send
Speaker 1: comments to Nicole's Instagram, that would be great.
Speaker 2: Where can they reach you on Instagram?
Speaker 3: Represent time at Nicole? Call your ninety five.
Speaker 1: At Nicole, call your ninety five Okay, make sure y'all
Speaker 1: send her love and all the encouragement.
Speaker 2: We don't know where this battle goes from here, but
Speaker 2: what we.
Speaker 1: Do know is that the fight is deep ahead and
Speaker 1: they have been preparing for more than forty plus years.
Speaker 1: State represented the cocaliear. We will see you next time.
Speaker 1: Definitely keep us in the loop on what's going on.
Speaker 3: We'll do Thank you, Angela.
Speaker 1: Okay, take care, Okay, everyone, we are going to wrap
Speaker 1: up this live. I think that it's important for you
Speaker 1: all to understand in this moment, there are a lot
Speaker 1: of folks who don't understand why state reps would have
Speaker 1: gone back in this environment. I'm with you, but here's
Speaker 1: what we know. Folks fight on their own terms. There
Speaker 1: are rules that she said were being passed today that
Speaker 1: she didn't want to see get passed. And so given
Speaker 1: the fact that they already had quorum, they made korm
Speaker 1: without a single Black Caucus member joining, they refuse to
Speaker 1: give them that quorum.
Speaker 2: Some of the members went back.
Speaker 1: Nonetheless, whether you agree with their decision or not, as
Speaker 1: important is that they are equipped and armed for the
Speaker 1: fight ahead. If you have ideas, suggestions, feedback, encouragement, prayers, ideas,
Speaker 1: I'm sure the Texas State Legislative Black Caucus would love
Speaker 1: to hear from you. Please make sure you do that.
Speaker 1: For now, I am signing off, y'all. This is gonna
Speaker 1: be my live.
Speaker 2: Even for tomorrow.
Speaker 1: Mama Ris got chemo tomorrow, and so I'm gonna be
Speaker 1: with her tomorrow. This will be my life for the week,
Speaker 1: and then we will see you all back here a
Speaker 1: same bad time, same back station on Thursday for Native
Speaker 1: lampod and of course for our mini pod on Friday.
Speaker 1: So thank you so much for all you do to
Speaker 1: support us. If you have not, make sure you subscribe
Speaker 1: at Native lamppod. You listen wherever you get your podcasts
Speaker 1: or favorite shows, like comments, send us your videos, giving
Speaker 1: us your comments, your thoughts. If you agreed with State Rep.
Speaker 1: Callier or not, if you agree with State Rep. Jones
Speaker 1: or not, whatever, wherever you land, we want to hear
Speaker 1: from you, and we definitely want to hear if you
Speaker 1: have ideas for these really courageous leaders in this time
Speaker 1: about what they can do going forward.
Speaker 2: So thank y'all so much, See you next time. Welcome home, y'all.
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