Democratic tactics delay abortion debate

[TexasTowelie]

AUSTIN – Procedural questions and objections by House Democrats stalled legislation Sunday to ban abortion at 20 weeks and impose tighter regulations on the procedure.

"We may not be in the majority, but unity trumps division any day," said Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, who raised an objection that delayed consideration of a measure concerning youthful capital offenders that preceded the abortion bill on the House agenda.

While the objection wasn't raised specifically about the abortion measure, the delay pushed back consideration of the abortion measure and a transportation proposal behind the crime measure on the House agenda.

With Tuesday's looming end of the special session making every minute count, lawmakers worked under the watchful eye of advocates on both sides of the abortion issue, who lined the second-floor lobby outside the House chamber.

More at http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Democratic-tactics-delay-abortion-debate-4617535.php .

[TexasTowelie]

1. Another story from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

More than 1,000 protest tougher restrictions on abortions in Texas

AUSTIN — More than 1,000 protesters descended on the State Capitol on Sunday in an attempt to derail hot-button legislation to toughen abortion restrictions and ban abortions after the 20th month of pregnancy.

Anti-abortion groups also turned out in support of the measure, though apparently in fewer numbers. "Where we turn out is in the polls," said Kyleen Wright of Mansfield, president of Texans for Life, and a leading supporter of the proposed restrictions.

House debate on the legislative package was expected to extend well into the evening -- and possibly past midnight - as Democrats planned a series of stalling maneuvers in an attempt to run out the clock on the bill in the remaining two days of the Legislature's special session.

House members first had to dispatch legislation designed to overcome a constitutional barrier that has blocked the prosecution of 17-year-old defendants accused of capital crimes. But a point of order on the bill forced House members into a two-hour recess to work out a parliamentary dispute over the bill, further delaying the start of debate on the abortion legislation.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/06/23/4957936/more-than-1000-protest-tougher.html#storylink=cpy

[blkmusclmachine]

2. .

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[rurallib]

3. Saw this on Rachel Friday

here's hoping they can stall it out.

[NoPasaran]

4. House now back in session n/t

[TexasTowelie]

5. Update:

7:36 p.m. by Becca Aaronson

House GOP members succeeded in delaying legislation in order to take up Senate Bill 5, but they’re once again being held up as parliamentarians discuss a point of order called by a Democrat.

Senate Bill 5 “addresses abortion law and regulations in our state," &rdquo state Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Parker, said as she laid out the legislation, adding it “also addresses health and safety for women who undergo an abortion procedure.”

As she continued to say that “the baby can feel the pain of abortion,” therefore the House had added a provision to the Senate version to prohibit elective abortions at 20 weeks or more, state Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, interrupted her with a parliamentary inquiry.

"The calendar now has been violated because at 7:15 we were required to take up Senate Bill 23," said Dutton. He called a point of order on Senate Bill 5. Then SB5 was postponed, and now Rep. Kolkhorst (the "expletive withheld" that represents my district) is moving again to postpone SB23.

[They_Live]

6. What about MY pain Jodie,

What about MY pain ?

[NoPasaran]

7. If you're a fan of legislative maneuvering this is pretty interesting to watch

Just 49 hours left till the session is history.

[TexasTowelie]

8. Update

11:38 p.m. Debate just moved to amendment 8 to SB 5 which would exempt construction standards for the ambulatory surgical centers (day surgery centers).

Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, (R) is carrying the weight of tabling amendment motions yet will not defend her motions to table.

[TexasTowelie]

9. Further update:

Amendment 9 was being discussed while a point of order was made regarding the calendar.

12:37 a.m. by Becca Aaronson

While House members were not required to pass Senate Bill 5 before midnight, the start of a new calendar day could jeopardize the passage of the legislation. If the House tentatively approves the bill tonight, the House must adjourn, reconvene, and two-thirds of the chamber must agree to suspend the rules to give the legislation final consideration on third reading — even though it’s not technically a new calendar day. Without a suspension of the rules the House would be required to wait until a new calendar day, which would be Tuesday, to give final approval. That would not leave adequate time for the Senate to confirm the House changes to SB 5, because they must wait 24 hours to act after receiving the legislation from the House.

12:10 a.m. by Becca Aaronson

Speculation is mounting that House GOP members will make a motion to “call the question” — halting remaining debate and prompting an immediate vote — on Senate Bill 5.

State Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, tweeted, “Repubs have the 25 signatures to call the questions. Will they move? Will they be recognized? they are arguing it on floor.”

Technically, the Republicans would need 25 signatures to be recognized on the motion to call the question, and then the House would vote on whether to halt debate and vote on SB 5.

The longer the debate goes on, the easier it will be for Senate Democrats to filibuster the legislation. With the 24-hour layout rule, if the bill were passed in the next hour or so, a senator would have to filibuster for about 24 hours to kill the bill.

11:38 p.m. by Becca Aaronson

After more than five hours of debate, the House has tabled seven amendments to Senate Bill 5 offered by Democrats and has more than 20 amendments left to consider.

Among the amendments rejected so far: a requirement that the state provide peer-reviewed scientific evidence that fetuses feel pain at 20 weeks; an exclusion for abortion clinics more than 50 miles from another abortion facility from the ambulatory surgical facility requirements to ease travel burdens on rural women seeking abortions; an extension of the effective date of the surgical facility requirements from 2014 to 2015 so that existing abortion clinics would have more time to upgrade and meet new requirements; and an exemption for nurses to administer abortion-inducing drugs to treat women who have ectopic pregnancies or partial miscarriages.

State Rep. Mary Gonzalez, D-Clint, told lawmakers that a woman victim of rape or incest in her district would have to travel 600 miles one way to receive an abortion under SB 5. Poor women living in rural areas, such as the colonias along the border, will seek to self-induce abortion or travel to Mexico for the procedure, she said. “Do you want to keep the women of Texas safe or not?" she asked House members.

Democrats also presented multiple points of order on Senate Bill 5, all of which were rejected by House parliamentarians.

[TexasTowelie]

10. After a half-hour delay

the point of order was overruled.

Return to amendment 9 regarding that if the rate of uninsured Texans must fall below 5% for the full implementation of SB 5 to occur.

Laudenberg still is making motions to table, but will not take the mic to answer questions. There are still about 20 amendments to consider, but she seems to holding out on answering questions until all the amendments are heard.

[TexasTowelie]

11. Motion to shut off debate being made by Republicans.

~2:30 a.m.

The chair said that there were between 10 to 15 amendments that still remained to be heard before the motion to end debate was called. Sylvester Turner replied and said that there were 26 amendments. Turner made an impassioned plea for the remaining amendments be debated and vetted. Cheers erupted from the crowd a few times during his speech.

Rep. Hughes replied to Turner's plea saying that the hearings have not been rushed and that the legislation. Hughes would not yield to any further debate on the second reading of the bill. Laudenberg also refused to come to the microphone to answer questions. Motion to close debate passed 92-37.

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Jodie Laudenberg - Enemy to women's reproductive rights
Please treat her with contempt and shame if you see her.