In the midst of the insanity and depression that was today’s Voter Registration laws and the news that Texas was acting immediately to execute new restrictive laws to who can vote, it’s good to have a positive story. And damn was this positive.
On Tuesday, Texas was set to pass a new law that would greatly restrict a woman’s ability to get an abortion. That’s where Senator Wendy Davis comes in. In order to prevent the law from passing and extend the voting, she engaged in an excruciating 13-hour filibuster — where she had to speak without eating, drinking, using the restroom or sitting down — that ended just after midnight. And when it was all over, the crowd erupted and began cheering her name, interrupting the Senate role call.
I can’t overstate how incredible Davis’ actions were today as the hashtag #StandwithWendy became a rallying cry all across the web. This is truly remarkable and will likely go down as one of the most important filibusters of our time.
And because the Internet is great, here’s Senator Davis with a Game of Thrones dragon on her shoulder.
[Pic via Twitter]
Update: The AP is reporting that the Republicans did in fact vote to close every abortion clinic in Texas, but there is clearly a dispute as this happened after midnight, making the votes invalid. Basically, chaos has descended upon the situation and it’s unclear when this is going to get resolved.
UPDATE #2: Despite efforts by Texas Senate Republicans to turn back the clock, the bill was declared dead hours after it was “passed.”
The state Senate’s vote came right at a midnight Tuesday deadline, amid widespread confusion the noise of a chanting crowd of the bill’s opponents in an upstairs gallery. Senate Democrats said the vote took place past the deadline at 12:02 a.m. or 12:03 a.m., while Republicans disputed those claims, saying the vote was legitimate.
But at 3 a.m., Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the presiding officer of the Senate and a Republican supporter of the bill, told lawmakers and reporters that although the bill passed on a 19-to-10 vote, the bill could not be signed in the presence of the Senate and was therefore dead, blaming “an unruly mob using Occupy Wall Street tactics” as the primary cause.
Never change, Texas.
