Urine for a long night.
Texas Democratic state Sen. Carol Alvarado announced plans Friday to filibuster a Republican-led redistricting bill — and while she’s holding the floor, she won’t be holding it in.
Alvarado, 57, prepped for what could be a marathon speech by having a catheter inserted and attaching a urine bag to herself, according to multiple outlets.
The Houston-area Democrat even purchased a “long blue flowered dress to hide the bag,” the Washington Post reported.
The Texas Senate Democratic Caucus shared a video of Alvarado, in said dress, gingerly walking into the chamber ahead of her effort to delay the legislation from passing.
“Going to be a long night,” Alvarado pledged in a social media post, after notifying the leader of the Texas Senate, GOP Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, that she intended to filibuster House Bill 4.
In preparation for the filibuster, the state senator chowed down on barbecue the night before and also received an IV infusion and did a hot yoga session.
“I’ve been prepping for a few days,” Alvarado told WaPo.
She is no stranger to stalling legislation.
In 2021, Alvarado held the floor for 15 hours and seven minutes, a state record, in a filibuster against an election reform bill that banned drive-thru and 24-hour polling places and ballot drop boxes.
The Republican-led effort to redraw Texas’ congressional map – a move strongly backed by President Trump – cleared the state House of Representatives earlier this week and is expected to eventually pass in the GOP-controlled state Senate.
The redistricting bill, which could give Republicans five additional seats in Congress, is strongly opposed by Democrats.
More than 50 Texas House Democrats fled the state capital for two weeks in an effort to delay a vote on the legislation.
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