A social media threat late Tuesday reportedly forced parts of the Texas Capitol to be evacuated, briefly halting a contentious legislative session as Republicans pressed forward with measures on disaster relief and congressional redistricting.
The evacuation began around 6:30 p.m. after an unidentified individual posted a message urging people to “take action by shooting and killing those who will not allow lawmakers to leave,” according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
In a statement, DPS confirmed that “personnel are working to identify the individual responsible for posting the message.”
The scare unfolded as demonstrators gathered outside the Capitol, protesting a Republican move that required Democratic lawmakers to remain inside unless they accepted police escorts to their homes.
Protest organizer Melody Tremallo told CBS Austin that officers warned her the building could be cleared “due to an imminent shooter threat.” Law enforcement secured the premises while some areas remained open, and officers guarded legislators who stayed in the House chamber.
#BREAKING: The grounds are now being closed due to the threat. @cbsaustin pic.twitter.com/yGOdFhM63K
— Andrew Freeman (@AFreemanNews) August 20, 2025
The heightened security followed weeks of tension. Earlier this month, Democratic lawmakers fled Texas in an effort to block Republicans from advancing a redistricting plan.
Their departure paralyzed legislative business and delayed action on matters ranging from emergency funding for flood victims to drawing new congressional maps.
The maps are expected to deliver Republicans as many as five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives — a gain that could help shape control of Congress in the midterm elections.
By Monday, Democrats had returned to Austin, though under new restrictions. To prevent another mass walkout, Republicans moved to ensure that lawmakers remain within reach of law enforcement.
Democrats were told they must either remain inside the Capitol or submit to a police escort when returning home.
Some chose to comply only partially. Several Democrats stayed in the Capitol complex for more than 20 hours, with at least one, State Representative Nicole Collier, even sleeping in the building.
Collier later received a call of encouragement from former Vice President Kamala Harris.
But while Democrats received moral support from national figures, their strategy has come at steep financial cost. A 2021 state law imposes a $500-per-day fine on lawmakers who deliberately break quorum.
Having stayed out of state for two weeks, Democrats now face the possibility of hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties.
Republicans have defended the fines as necessary to maintain legislative order and ensure that lawmakers fulfill their constitutional duties.
They have also argued that Democrats’ flight undermined the basic principle of representative government.
The disruption on Tuesday evening underscored the stakes. Republicans are pushing through policies they argue are critical to Texas’ future — including assistance for disaster victims and new congressional maps reflecting the state’s population growth.
Democrats, unwilling to accept the outcome of redistricting, have resorted to procedural brinkmanship that has brought the statehouse to a standstill.
For Texans, the episode highlighted two contrasting visions of governance: one side pressing to carry out the work of legislating, the other staking its strategy on resistance.
As DPS continues its investigation into the threat that prompted the evacuation, lawmakers face mounting pressure to resolve the impasse and return to the business of governing.
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