In a 96-49 vote, the Texas House has approved a very restrictive abortion bill after only an hour of debate. The bill will now be sent to the Senate, which is largely expected to pass the bill.
This vote comes only two weeks after Democratic Senator Wendy Davis led a filibuster against the bill, making national headlines and temporary killing the legislation as the special session ended. Protesters who “stand with Wendy” crowded around the Capitol building to show their opposition to the bill. Davis, pictured left, spoke at a rally on Tuesday.
The bill would ban abortions after 20 weeks and close 37 of the state’s 42 abortion clinics because of new building code requirements, New York Magazine reported.
Democrats attempted to add an amendment to soften the blow, proposing a boost in adoption benefits for the thousands of children to be born if the bill passed, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
“If we don’t accept this amendment, then we will be saying the consequences of children born because of this bill don’t matter, that the lives that we are saving are not worth a good home,” argued Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio, who wrote the amendment.
Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, who wrote the bill, has denied that the bill would close most of the state’s abortion clinics. “This bill does nothing of the sort.”
“The tremendous outpouring of support for this legislation has demonstrated how Texas stands for life, and I commend everyone who wore blue, turned out and spoke up in support of life in our state,” Gov. Rick Perry said in a statement, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Now is not the time to waver, however, as the Senate continues its important work in support of women's health and protecting the lives of our most vulnerable Texans.”