Texas state senator Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth), wearing pink tennis shoes with her sophisticated dress, is currently attempting a 13-hour filibuster on what would be the nation’s most restrictive abortion law.
Davis’s filibuster began at 11:18 am CDT on Tuesday, according to the Houston Chronicle. In order to successfully filibuster the bill, which would illegalize abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, Davis must speak until midnight, when the 30-day special session expires.
In addition to limiting the time frame for abortions, the bill would also force 37 of Texas’s 42 abortion clinics to close due to new building code requirements, reports New York Magazine.
Rules dictate that Davis cannot take any breaks, even to use the restroom or eat, and must remain standing the entire time. Fellow Democrats removed her chair to ensure that she did not mistakenly sit down.
As she began her filibuster, Davis said she was “rising on the floor today to humbly give voice to thousands of Texans.” She was an obvious choice to lead the fight against the bill: Davis herself had her first child as a teenager but later went on to graduate from Harvard Law School.
“These voices have been silenced by a governor who made blind partisanship and personal political ambition the official business of our great state,” said Davis, according to CNN. “And sadly, he's being abetted by legislative leaders who either share this blind partisanship or simply do not have the strength to oppose it.”
Davis has reportedly spent much of her time reading testimonials from other women who oppose the bill, including stories of struggles women faced before birth control and abortion were legalized.
Images: Jim Roberts's Twitter, RYOT News Twitter