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The Insanity in Austin: HB2 & the Fight against Mob Rule. The Actual Bill and What it Does. Reduces the number of weeks to consider unrestricted abortion from the federal 24 weeks to 20 weeks – WITH exception for life or irreparable harm to the mother or gross physical abnormality.
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The Actual Bill and What it Does • Reduces the number of weeks to consider unrestricted abortion from the federal 24 weeks to 20 weeks – WITH exception for life or irreparable harm to the mother or gross physical abnormality. • Requires abortion clinics to meet the requirements of a day surgery center: backup power, doctor having hospital admitting privileges, be able to handle gurneys, etc. • A dozen states have this stuff on the books.
The Big Mess Set up by Kabuki Theater • Bill was a slam-dunk to pass. Straus delayed hearing it in the 1st Special Session by a week. Spent almost 2 days on a redistricting change that only serve to try to save Bennett Ratliff. Passed out to Senate with little time, but by a wide margin. Dewhurst set up to fail. • Wendy Davis moved to filibuster, but Dewhurst knew he could break it. Broke it with 10 minutes to spare. • Gallery went so ballistic with so much noise that time expired before vote finalized. Such mob rule has NEVER happened in Texas.
Why the Big Fight Here? • Battleground Texas money • Market share: the 75-83,000 abortions done in Texas represents 20-25% of the NATIONAL market of Planned Parenthood ($$$) • ‘Home field advantage’ : Austin being our liberal sanctuary allowed for putting on a big show; bill opponents switched from pink to orange so they could draw huge crowds of marginally interested students off campus with food & entertainment. Drew 8-10K with freebies; 2K without. • Pro-life Blue started slow; beat Orange count mid-week
Second Session: Contrast of Rallies • Orange screamed for 9 straight hours one day. • ‘Hail Satan’ – UK ‘church’ of Satan worship released statement distancing themselves • ‘F**K the church’ ; another goodie • Blue side absolutely maintained discipline and did NOT respond. Had GREAT rally on Wednesday. • Final Senate vote: 270 DPS officers – during surprise bag check, confiscated 18 jars of feces, 3 jars of red paint, one of urine, one BRICK, and innumerable feminine hygiene products (some used, some from women in the 60s) from Orange trying to enter gallery. • Final Day: 20+ arrests, lots of chanting. Bill passed.
Final Result • Despite the big show, the liberal side did INCREDIBLE damage to their credibility with this effort. • Wendy Davis got big press- and likely ended her elected political career. (Juxtapose her calling them those ‘beautiful people’ with scads of UGLY video of them… finished.) • The Pro-life movement shined- and scored BIG points in the pink building for it. The COMPROMISED- and got a first step forward for doing so. • The actual bill will have a VERY limited impact on the number of abortions; 10% or more would be a surprise.