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Texas Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier had to abruptly leave a private call with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats this week because, she claimed, she was told it would be a felony for her to be on the call while at the Texas Capitol.

Footage of the exchange, which came during the Texas House of Representatives debate of a high-profile redistricting bill, offered a striking moment in the ongoing war between Texas and California over the controversial redistricting bill, which Democrats have accused of violating federal protections of minority voting rights.

Collier, who appeared in a video call with Newsom, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, and other Democrats, was standing near the House floor as Texas lawmakers debated the redistricting bill pushed by former President Donald Trump.

In her comments, Collier also called the proposed map a violation of the Voting Rights Act and said it would harm minority communities’ power to elect the candidates they choose.

“This bill will prevent Black and brown individuals from selecting the candidates of their choice because they’re cracking and packing these districts,” Collier said.

Minutes later, she abruptly dropped off the call while Martin was speaking.

“Sorry, I have to leave. They said it’s a felony for me to do this,” Collier told those on the call. “I can’t be on the floor or in the bathroom,” Collier told someone off-camera before quickly turning back to the camera.

“You told me I was only allowed to be here in the bathroom,” Collier said, before addressing the camera once more. “No, hang on. Bye everybody. I’ve got to go.” Collier then dropped the call.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., was the first to react. “This is outrageous. If you’re in the bathroom, if you’re in this bathroom, you have more dignity than Donald Trump in the Oval Office,” Booker said to those on the call, according to a video of the call obtained by Fox News Digital. “Rep. Collier in the bathroom has more dignity than Donald Trump in the Oval Office. That’s who we are,” Booker added.

Newsom nodded, and Booker continued, “What they’re trying to do right there is silence an American leader, silence a Black woman, and that is outrageous.” Booker added, “What we just witnessed, them trying to shut her down and saying it’s illegal for her to be in the bathroom and on this call, this is the lengths that they’re going to in Texas.

CALIFORNIA RESPONDS TO TEXAS’ REDISTRICTING BILL

Collier’s dramatic walkout came after several Texas Democrats fled the state for two weeks to try to break a quorum that would prevent Republicans from passing the bill. In retaliation, Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican leaders ordered that the lawmakers be arrested and called for them to be booted from office should they not return.

Once the Democrats returned to Austin, they said that the atmosphere at the state Capitol had changed. Texas Department of Public Safety officers have been guarding lawmakers, their offices, or even trailing them around the building. Lawmakers have been asked to sign “permission slips” to leave the Capitol under a new security regime intended to avoid the quorum issues that came after the Democrats fled.

The Texas bill would add as many as five Republican seats in Congress, according to Democrats, who say that could solidify the GOP hold on the state for the next decade. To fight that bill, California Democrats announced a similar redistricting effort. On Thursday, California Democrats unveiled a new congressional map created by Newsom and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which would likely eliminate five Republican seats in California to balance out the potential Republican gains in Texas.

On Friday, a new map was released that would demonstrate how Democrats were aiming to reshape their congressional districts on the West Coast to offset potential Republican gains solidified by the Texas bill.

In this way, the redistricting fight in Texas is not only a national fight but a direct line of interstate rivalry as both parties look toward regaining control of Congress.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the offices of both Booker and Newsom for further comment, but has not yet received a response. Collier’s office has also declined to comment further, citing that the Texas House is in session.