Texas Democrats successfully block abortion bill
Photo courtesy Texas Observer
James Rambin / Executive Editor
On Tuesday morning, Wendy Davis stood at her desk in the Senate chamber of the Texas State Legislature and began speaking. Once she rose to her feet, she wouldn’t sit again for nearly 13 hours.From 11:18 a.m. to approximately 10:30 p.m., Davis, a Democratic state senator hailing from Fort Worth, delivered a filibuster in a special session of the Texas Legislature intended to block the passage of Senate Bill 5, a proposal that would place new restrictions on abortion clinics in the state and prohibit abortions from being carried out after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The leadership may not want to listen to TX women, but they will have to listen to me. I intend to filibuster this bill. #SB5 #txlege
— Wendy Davis (@WendyDavisTexas) June 25, 2013
Saying a prayer of support for those fighting for the unborn tonight in the Texas Senate #SB5 #txlege
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) June 26, 2013
The legislature’s deadline to vote on the bill before the end of the special session was 12 a.m., and Davis intended to stall the vote up to this deadline, preventing a vote and blocking SB5 from passing. But 90 minutes before midnight, Republican lawmakers accused the senator of speaking off-topic, a violation of legislative rules, and successfully shut down her filibuster. Once Davis was removed, Democrats began contesting the validity of her rule violations, delaying proceedings further toward the deadline.
As midnight approached, more than 400 protestors inside the chamber and hundreds more lining the walls of the capitol rotunda began shouting and cheering, stalling the vote for the final 15 minutes. Although a vote was finally held, further review determined that since a final tally could not be sealed until three minutes after the deadline, the bill remains dead for the time being.
Man on 2nd floor: “on count.of 3, give me as much noise as you can. 1, 2, 3.” Crowd in rotunda screams at top of their lungs. #txlege #sb5
— Aman Batheja (@amanbatheja) June 26, 2013
Crowd shouts “Let her go” as DPS trooper is arresting a woman in the gallery. #SB5 #txlege Troopers line the gallery
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) June 26, 2013
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst officially declared the vote invalid at about 3 a.m., telling the audience that “It’s been fun, but, uh, see you soon,” implying that the battle over SB5 may not yet be over. Dewhurst later told reporters that protestors of the bill were “An angry mob using Occupy Wall Street tactics” to derail the vote.
I pledge to Texas one thing: this fight is far from over. #txlege #sb5 — David Dewhurst (@DavidHDewhurst) June 26, 2013
We had terrorist in the Texas State Senate opposing SB 5 — Bill Zedler (@Bill_Zedler) June 26, 2013
Despite the filibuster’s success, lawmakers pointed out that Gov. Rick Perry still holds the right to call another special session for the express purpose of passing the bill, and many expect him to do so. Still, Texas Democrats are hopeful that last night’s drama will bring publicity to their fight against a bill they see as overly restrictive. More than six hours after the vote was dismissed, #SB5 continues to trend on Twitter.
Something special is happening in Austin tonight: http://t.co/RpbnCbO6zw #StandWithWendy
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 26, 2013
Thanks to the powerful voices of thousands of Texans, #SB5 is dead. An incredible victory for Texas women and those who love them.
— Wendy Davis (@WendyDavisTexas) June 26, 2013
Perhaps the Texas GOP’s biggest blunder tonight was forgetting that social media exists. #sb5 #standwithwendy
— Mayor Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) June 26, 2013
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