Despite the legislation having no chance of getting past the Senate or the president’s desk, the House last week passed the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Inspired by the Kermit Gosnell trial, the bill would restrict most abortions past 20 weeks. Individual states have taken up the cause, and abortion advocates have convened on the Texas state senate today to block similar legislation from reaching Gov. Rick Perry’s desk before the special legislative session ends today.
The Texas Tribune has a concise review of the proposed legislation, most of which addresses the failures that contributed to Philadelphia abortionist Gosnell’s conviction on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a patient:
House Bill 60 and Senate Bill 5 authored by state Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Parker, and state Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, respectively, would ban abortion at 20-weeks gestation, require physicians that perform the procedure to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, require abortions to be performed in ambulatory surgical centers and require doctors administering abortion-inducing drugs to do so in person.
While abortion opponents argue the bills would improve women’s safety, reproductive rights advocates argue the bills would close 37 of the state’s 42 facilities that perform abortions and set up unnecessary obstacles for women seeking the procedure, effectively cutting off legal access to abortion in the state and endangering women’s health.
Leading the charge against S.B. 5 is Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, who has promised to speak for 13 hours to prevent the bill from moving to a vote before the legislative session expires. Davis found support in Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, who watched from the gallery, and from tweeters who made #StandWithWendy into a trending topic.
.@CecileRichards joins the crowd in #txlege gallery, watching @WendyDavisTexas stand strong. #sb5 #standwithwendy pic.twitter.com/zQnQpcCKqj
— Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) June 25, 2013
https://twitter.com/tootwistedtv/status/349630298465640448
#sb5 #StandWithWendy "Lawmakers need to stay out of the vagina business or go to medical school." You go Wendy! pic.twitter.com/VvCbs3cBJG
— SeriouslyND? (@SrslyNoDak) June 25, 2013
https://twitter.com/Nate_Norris/status/349608033434877952
Comedian, “Daily Show” co-creator and A Is For… co-founder Lizz Winstead urged followers to ship wire coat hangers to the Texas State Capitol.
#SupportTexasWomen fight #SB5 abortion bill OVERNIGHT WIRE COAT HANGERS to #TXlege 1400 Congress Ave,… http://t.co/55tOKeLpjI
— Lizz "Human Capital Stock" Winstead (@lizzwinstead) June 24, 2013
Rep. Nancy Pelosi also sent her support from afar, as did “Girls” writer and star Lena Dunham.
Inspired by courage & dedication of @WendyDavisTexas in standing up for women on #SB5. I #StandWithWendy. Do you? http://t.co/YvhXCfwAqQ
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) June 25, 2013
Body in NYC, heart with @WendyDavisTexas today as she stands up for women on the #txlege senate floor. Thank you Wendy! #SB5
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) June 25, 2013
https://twitter.com/andylassner/status/349649652615872514
#StandWithWendy I stand with her listening to the filibuster do you know how SICK #Republican men are? Listen to details to CONTROL women
— cyn (@Wary12) June 25, 2013
I #StandWithWendy because although rich, religious white men rule the country, they should not be allowed to hold dominion over my body.
— A Mancino-Williams (@Manda_like_wine) June 25, 2013
I #StandWithWendy b/c what I choose for my body is my right & old pale dudes can stop acting like they're granting & restricting privileges.
— ? Caissie “Pretty Scared, You?” St.Onge (@Caissie) June 25, 2013
I #StandWithWendy because science overwhelmingly suggests that fetal pain is a myth, and even if it wasn't, what about woman's pain?
— John Abramowitz (@onthebird) June 25, 2013
https://twitter.com/KirstieMcCarty/status/349666520902823936
Not everyone pushing #StandWithWendy and #SB5 up the list of trending topics was in support of the filibuster, though.
So @NancyPelosi is cheering on a politician in TX for being pro abortion? I thought abortion wasn't political. #SB5
— Melissa Mackenzie (@MelissaTweets) June 25, 2013
Women will be saved by #SB5 — both the woman in safer conditions and the women babies who will be spared being ripped apart in utero.
— Melissa Mackenzie (@MelissaTweets) June 25, 2013
Gosnell is what happens when NOW and other women turn the other way and want abortion clinics exempted from basic health codes. #SB5
— Melissa Mackenzie (@MelissaTweets) June 25, 2013
#StandWithWendy and turn your backs on what makes you human!
— Michael (@talkslikelovers) June 25, 2013
#standwithwendy is trending in the US. Because TX state sen. Wendy Davis stands on the backs of the aborted. Shameful. #StandsWithTheUnborn
— Sister Toldjah ? (@sistertoldjah) June 25, 2013
Wendy Davis DOES NOT speak for me! #SB5 #saveallthebabies #saveallthewomen #sitdownwendy #txlege pic.twitter.com/17JI4tdklK
— Laura Hemminger (@lutheranlaura) June 25, 2013
Wendy Davis 2011: Fighting for children and education.
Wendy Davis 2013: fighting to kill the children of the uneducated. #StandWithWendy— Jahnke (@wakeus_com) June 25, 2013
For every hour of @WendyDavisTexas's filibuster against Abortion Safety Regs, another 138 American Children die: http://t.co/TvjYu8gKVC #SB5
— ¡El Sooopèrr! ن c137 (@SooperMexican) June 25, 2013
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