Two weeks ago, state Sen. Wendy Davis' (D) heroics were able to derail sweeping restrictions on reproductive rights in Texas, but last night, there just wasn't much abortion-rights proponents could do to prevent defeat.
Texas legislators overturned a temporary victory by state Democrats and standard bearer Sen. Wendy Davis, passing a bill late Friday that puts new restrictions on abortion procedures.The bill passed the Republican-controlled Senate just before midnight, two weeks after the Legislature failed to put the restrictions to a successful vote in its first special session..... Twenty-one amendments were offered, debated and rejected.
The final vote was 19 to 11.
The sweeping legislation imposes a 20-week abortion ban, despite pleas from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which warned that the measure would be dangerous. The bill also impose new regulations that will close all but a handful of the state's 42 clinics where reproductive services are provided.
The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Rick Perry (R), who called this special session of the legislature specifically to pass this piece of legislation. Immediately after the governor signs it into law, the measure will face a legal challenge -- and given the fact that Texas' restrictions are at odds with Supreme Court precedent, reproductive-rights advocates are cautiously optimistic.
As for Wendy Davis, she spoke from the floor late last night, explaining, "The fight for the future of Texas is just beginning." Soon after the vote, Davis used a bullhorn to tell a large crowd of activists in from front of the Capitol building, "Let's make sure tonight is not an ending point. It's a beginning point as we work to take this state back."
Postscript: For the record, I've seen no evidence that anyone threw tampons at the state senators.