Texas Democrats prepare for special session after Wendy Davis filibuster

The bill has enough supporters to be approved, but politicians were distracted with by legislation in the first special session, delaying the vote until the session's final day. Photograph: Eric Gay/AP

The Texas state legislature will return to the statehouse on Monday to again take up a controversial bill that would place stringent restrictions on abortion services in the state.

The bill became a keystone in the nationwide reproductive rights battle after Texas state senator Wendy Davis endured a marathon filibuster to block the passage of the bill in the first special session.

Davis was propelled into the international spotlight after speaking for 10 hours and 45 minutes without eating, drinking or leaning, but said she expects the bill to pass in the second special session.

That opinion is shared by many of her colleagues, including Texas senate Democratic caucus chair Kirk Watson.

"I don't think they'll make the same mistake about waiting as long in terms of bringing this bill to the body," Watson told NPR. "The truth is, there is high likelihood they will pass this bad legislation."

Texas bill SB5 calls for a ban on abortions after 20 weeks, for clinics that provide abortion to upgrade their facilities to be classed as ambulatory surgical centers, and for doctors to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. This would force 37 of the populous state's 42 clinics to close, according to opponents.

The bill has enough supporters to be approved, but politicians were distracted by other legislation in the first special session, delaying the vote until the session's final day, long enough to give Davis the opportunity for a filibuster.

"I was able to do this filibuster because this bill came to the floor on the last day of the special session and it made it possible to kill the bill as a consequence," Davis told CBS. "It's not likely that they'll make that same mistake again. Who knows ? if they do, we'll do everything we can to try and kill this bill."

The second special session could last up to 30 days, and the legislature will likely take up SB5 in the early weeks.

Texas lieutenant governor David Dewhurst, speaking at a pro-life convention on Saturday, said he would move quickly to pass SB5 and keep it out of filibuster range.

"No human being can talk for two weeks," Dewhurst said. "This bill is going to pass."

Dewhurst said on Saturday that he would have protesters thrown out from the senate gallery if they became disorderly. In the final 15 minutes of the filibuster, the senate galleries were crowded with protesters who were so loud that it was unclear if the vote had been taken before the deadline.

However, reproductive rights groups including the Planned Parenthood Action Fund are using the momentum to drive more rallies to the Texas statehouse on Monday.

Advocates hope that this energy could also be carried over to other states that have recently passed similarly restrictive abortion legislation, including a North Dakota law that would block abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy and is set to go into effect on 1 August.

Arguments over SB5 became personal when Texas governor Rick Perry accused Davis of failing to "learn from her mistakes" as a single teenage mother while speaking at a pro-life convention on Thursday. At age 19, Davis was divorced with two daughters and living in a trailer park.

"Yes, many children are born in difficult circumstances, but there is no such thing as an unwanted life, because no life, no life is trivial in God's eyes," said Perry, who then acknowledged Davis had grown up in difficult circumstances. "It's just unfortunate she hasn't learned to live by her own example," he said.

Davis responded by saying his comments were without dignity and tarnished the governor's office. "They are small words that reflect a dark and negative point of view," she said in a statement. "Our governor should reflect our Texas values. Sadly, Governor Perry fails that test."

Perry has since denied that the comments were a personal attack and said he was proud of what she had accomplished, according to the Texas Tribune. He then said rhetorically: "How many young men and women across this country didn't get to accomplish what Wendy Davis just accomplished because they weren't born?"

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/29/texas-special-session-wendy-davis-abortion-bill

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