The Big Conversation | Texas Tribune
Thunderous protests and a marathon filibuster on Tuesday marked one of the most dramatic days of the Texas Legislature in recent memory.
In a stunning end to a mostly low-key legislative session, outnumbered Democrats — led by state Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth — and an impassioned throng of protesters helped slow proceedings and ultimately kill a bill that would have imposed some of the nation’s strictest abortion laws, including a ban on the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Davis, a rising star in the state’s Democratic Party, stood and spoke against the legislation for nearly 13 hours as Republicans tried to thwart her effort using the Senate’s strict filibuster rules, which allow a senator two warnings before the chamber can vote to cut off debate. Throughout the evening, Republicans voted to penalize her once for receiving assistance while putting on a back brace and twice for veering off the topic of the bill.
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