Monday, June 24, 2013

Is The Texas Special Session Over Yet?

The Teapublican controlled Texas Legislature went into a special session moments after the sine die date on the regular 2013 session that is mercifully drawing to a close. 

In addition to taking on the redistricting issue which will have a lawsuit filed against it when this session is over faster than you can say 'Rick Perry', Governor Goodhair (R) also threw a right-wing bone to the teabaggers and added the issue of abortion to the issues being worked on during the legislative special session,.

That's when the fun started. State Rep Jodie Laubenberg (Teabagger-Parker) obliged by being the House sponsor of SB 5, a bill that not only bans abortion after 20 weeks, it sets standards for existing clinics in Texas that will force 37 of the 42 clinics that currently operate in the state to close. 


Rep Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) then introduced an amendment to the draconian bill that would carve out an exception for it in the cases of rape and incest, and it was in the context of explaining why it wasn't needed that Laubenburg made the gaffe that is going to follow her to her grave and hopefully will lead to her being voted out of the legislature next November.  

Rep Thompson's amendment was defeated but not before the dean of the Texas House engaged in some of her classic oratory excoriating the Republifools.  





With the GOP having a 95-55 Texas House majority, there was no doubt this odious bill was going to pass and it did 97-33.  But due to there being differing versions of extremism in SB 5, it has to go back to the Senate for reconciliation, where Senate Dems are preparing to welcome it with a filibuster in the hopes of killing it when the special session ends at midnight and denying Perry the chance to scribble his signature on it an make it law.

Lt Gov David Dewhurst (R) who is rumored to wanting to run for Perry's job next year is dropping hints that if 'certain measures' don't pass, we'll have another tax money wasting and drama filled special session. 

Is it November 6, 2014 yet?

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