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Hissyspit

Hissyspit's Journal
Hissyspit's Journal
June 28, 2013

Funny Or Die! "World War G" Gay Marriage Contagion - The Movie

http://gregmitchellwriter.blogspot.com/2013/06/gay-marriage-contagion-movie.html

Gay Marriage Contagion--the Movie!

Hysterical parody World War G from Funny of Die, imagines gay infection of entire world after SCOTUS decisions--first major film from Rick Santorum's new studio!

World War G

CLICK LINK FOR VIDEO
June 27, 2013

Spy Program Gathered Americans' Internet Records (Until 2011)

Source: Associated Press

SPY PROGRAM GATHERED AMERICANS' INTERNET RECORDS

By KIMBERLY DOZIER and LOLITA C. BALDOR
— Jun. 27 5:52 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration gathered U.S. citizens' Internet data until 2011, continuing a spying program started under President George W. Bush that revealed whom Americans exchanged emails with and the Internet Protocol address of their computer, documents disclosed Thursday show.

The National Security Agency ended the program that collected email logs and timing, but not content, in 2011 because it decided it didn't effectively stop terrorist plots, according to the NSA's director, Gen. Keith Alexander, who also heads the U.S. Cyber Command. He said all data was purged in 2011.

Britain's Guardian newspaper on Thursday released documents detailing the collection, though the program was also described earlier this month by The Washington Post.

The latest revelation follows previous leaks from ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who is presumed hiding at a Moscow airport transit area, waiting to hear whether Ecuador, Iceland or another country might grant him asylum. He fled Hong Kong over the weekend and flew to Russia after being charged with violating American espionage laws.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/spy-program-gathered-americans-internet-records



GD: NSA Collected US Email Records In Bulk For More Than Two Years Under Obama (w/Documents) - Guardian" http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3110914

GD "How the NSA is still harvesting your online data": http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023110981
June 26, 2013

BREAKING: Supreme Court Says DOMA Is Unconstitutional

Source: Huffington Post / SCOTUS Blog

10:17
Amy Howe: To reiterate again, in case my first post didn't go through a minute or so ago, DOMA has been struck down. Opinion is by Justice Kennedy, joined by the four liberal Justices -- Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan.

Amy Howe: "DOMA singles out a class of persons deemed by a State entitled to recognition and protection to enhance their own liberty."


SCOTUSblog @SCOTUSblog 1m
Looks like the Court is preparing to not decide Prop 8. So the trial judge's ruling invalidating Prop 8 stands. No national ruling.

COURT STRIKES DOWN KEY PROVISION OF DOMA

Supreme Court Defense Of Marriage Act Decision: Court Strikes Down Key Provision Of DOMA


The Supreme Court has struck down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act forbidding federal recognition of gay marriages for couples residing in states that recognize their union.

The court's decision came by a ruling of 5-4.

The ruling is one of two major gay marriage rulings being considered by the High Court. The court is also ruling on Proposition 8, California's anti-gay marriage law.

DOMA defines marriage as between "one man and one woman as husband and wife" for purposes of federal law. It was challenged by Edith "Edie" Windsor, 83, when the Internal Revenue Service stuck her with $363,000 of estate taxes after her late wife died.

FROM SCOTUSBLOG:

10:55
Tejinder: In response to some questions about Windsor: Only Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act -- which defines the words "marriage" and "spouse," for federal purposes, as referring only to marriages between opposite-sex couples -- has been struck down. Consequently, any federal statute that refers to a "marriage" or a "spouse" should be interpreted as applying with equal force to same-sex married couples.

10:55
Amy Howe: Here's a Plain English take on United States v. Windsor, the DOMA case: The federal Defense of Marriage Act defines "marriage," for purposes of over a thousand federal laws and programs, as a union between a man and a woman only. Today the Court ruled, by a vote of five to four, in an opinion by Justice Kennedy, that the law is unconstitutional. The Court explained that the states have long had the responsibility of regulating and defining marriage, and some states have opted to allow same-sex couples to marry to give them the protection and dignity associated with marriage. By denying recognition to same-sex couples who are legally married, federal law discriminates against them to express disapproval of state-sanctioned same-sex marriage. This decision means that same-sex couples who are legally married must now be treated the same under federal law as married opposite-sex couples.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/supreme-court-defense-of-marriage-act-decision_n_3454834.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003



George Takei ?@GeorgeTakei 29s
DOMA has been held unconstitutional, 5-4 decision authored by Justice Kennedy. Oh happy day!

Barack Obama ?@BarackObama 5m
Today's DOMA ruling is a historic step forward for #MarriageEquality. #LoveIsLove

MoveOn.org ?@MoveOn 58s
#DOMA is #unconstitutional!! #SCOTUS #MarriageEquality pic.twitter.com/lTnCxfLT8C

AmnestyInternational ?@amnesty 5m
Amnesty applauds #Supreme Court decision striking down #DOMA protecting #human rights for married same-sex couples

Greg Stohr ?@GregStohr 6m
DOMA tells same-sex couples "their marriage is less worthy than the marriages of others,” Kennedy wrote for the court. #scotus
Retweeted by Bloomberg News

Glenn Greenwald ?@ggreenwald 3m
Edith Windsor joins the pantheon of great Supreme Court litigants who secured rights for everyone.

Slate ?@Slate 1m
Walking down steps of #SCOTUS w/hands raised victoriously were couples that brought #Prop8 challenge. They were serenaded by national anthem

Michael Moore ?@MMFlint 51s
Scalia now reading his angry dissent, using words like "diseased root." #dinosaur

Michael Moore ?@MMFlint 1m
Supreme Court lets appeals court ruling that overturned California anti-gay marriage law (Prop 8) stand. Same sex marriage now legal in CA.

Cyndi Lauper ?@cyndilauper 1m
DOMA unconstitutional!

10:21
Amy Howe: What this means, in plain terms, is that same-sex couples who are legally married will be entitled to equal treatment under federal law-- with regard to, for example, income taxes and Social Security benefits.

Comment From Mary
So does this mean that I'll be able to file joint taxes with my wife? From Amy: Yes. Perhaps for the first time ever, many people will be eager to file their taxes next April 15.


http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/06/edith-windsor-doma-struck-down.html

JUNE 26, 2013
HOW EDITH WINDSOR LEARNED SHE WON
POSTED BY ARIEL LEVY



Photographs, of Edith Windsor and Roberta Kaplan, by Ariel Levy.

Everyone at the apartment of Roberta Kaplan, the lawyer who argued Edith Windsor’s successful challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, exploded in screams and sobs when the ruling came down. Kaplan called her mother and said, “Total victory, Mom: it couldn’t be better.” Windsor said, “I wanna go to Stonewall right now!” Then she called a friend and said, “Please get married right away!”

MORE

"Give to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself that is my doctrine." ~ Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man, Part 2, 1792, written in defense of the French Revolution.

"no state shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." - Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, U.S. Constitution


Thank you, DU, for letting me break this news to you.
June 26, 2013

#TIMESTAMPGATE: After A Crazy Night, This Photograph Helped Kill A Controversial Texas Abortion Bill

http://www.businessinsider.com/texas-abortion-bill-timestampgate-2013-6

#TIMESTAMPGATE: After A Crazy Night, This Photograph Helped Kill A Controversial Texas Abortion Bill

JOE WEISENTHAL

It was a crazy night in Texas politics that ended just before 4 AM Central Time, with a controversial abortion bill (that would have shut down the majority of Texas clinics) getting killed at the last minute.

Carolyn Jones at The Texas Observer has a great writeup of what went down, but it was basically this.

- snip -

That's when pro-choice activists in the chamber started shouting, and created enough chaos so that the state Senate couldn't vote by midnight, which was the end of the legislative session.. The final vote to pass the bill happened just after midnight at 12:03.

However, Republicans claimed that the vote got in before midnight.

According to Jones, Republicans had to admit that that they were a few minutes late on the bill, when Texas State Senator Juan Chuy Hinojosa tweeted this photo showing that the initial readout of the vote indicated it happened on June 26, but that a subsequent readout had been changed, showing June 25.

The initial time stamp on the Capitol website and on Senate documents placed the vote at 12:02 or 12:03 on June 26. But then someone mysteriously changed the time stamp to make it appear SB 5 passed before the deadline (see the post below for photographic evidence). The time stamp evidence, circulated on Twitter, eventually forced GOP leaders to admit defeat, at least for tonight.




MORE
June 26, 2013

MUST-VIEW: Texas Near-Ban on Abortion foiled by People’s ‘Gallery Filibuster’



Texas Near-Ban on Abortion foiled by People’s ‘Gallery Filibuster’

Posted on 06/26/2013 by Juan Cole
This is the “gallery filibuster” — shouting by pro-choice advocates in the Senate halls after Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis’s filibuster was shut down– that so delayed the vote on a proposed law virtually banning abortion in Texas that it took place too late to be valid.

I believe they are chanting 'Wendy! Wendy! Wendy!'
June 26, 2013

AP: Texas Lt. Gov. Reverses, Declares Vote on Tough Abortion Bill Too Late to Pass (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

The Associated Press @AP 11m
BREAKING: Texas lt. gov. reverses himself, declares vote on tough abortion bill came too late to pass.

https://twitter.com/AP/status/349795897737089024

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/texas-senator-filibusters-against-abortion-bill

TEXAS ABORTION BILL FALLS AFTER CHALLENGE

By CHRIS TOMLINSON and JIM VERTUNO
— Jun. 26 4:01 AM EDT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas' lieutenant governor has acknowledged that Republicans missed their deadline to pass new abortion restrictions after protesters screamed down lawmakers as the final 15 minutes passed before the special legislative session's deadline.

Senators from both parties emerged from a private meeting with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and said they were about to officially acknowledge that fact.

Immediately following the vote, Republicans insisted they had started voting before the midnight deadline and passed the bill that Democrats spent much of Tuesday filibustering. But after official computer records and printouts of the voting record showed the vote took place Wednesday, and then were changed to read Tuesday, the senators convened for a private meeting.

More than 400 protesters erupted at 11:45 p.m. when Republicans suspended an 11-hour filibuster staged by Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth.




VIDEO: Planned Parenthood's Cecile Richards Announces SB-5 Fails to Pass




VIDEO: Texas Near-Ban on Abortion Foiled by People's 'Gallery Filibuster'

http://www.juancole.com/2013/06/abortion-gallery-filibuster.html

Posted on 06/26/2013 by Juan Cole

This is the “gallery filibuster” — shouting by pro-choice advocates in the Senate halls after Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis’s filibuster was shut down– that so delayed the vote on a proposed law virtually banning abortion in Texas that it took place too late to be valid.




#TIMESTAMPGATE: After A Crazy Night, This Photograph Helped Kill A Controversial Texas Abortion Bill

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023099905

http://www.businessinsider.com/texas-abortion-bill-timestampgate-2013-6

According to Jones, Republicans had to admit that that they were a few minutes late on the bill, when Texas State Senator Juan Chuy Hinojosa tweeted this photo showing that the initial readout of the vote indicated it happened on June 26, but that a subsequent readout had been changed, showing June 25.

The initial time stamp on the Capitol website and on Senate documents placed the vote at 12:02 or 12:03 on June 26. But then someone mysteriously changed the time stamp to make it appear SB 5 passed before the deadline (see the post below for photographic evidence). The time stamp evidence, circulated on Twitter, eventually forced GOP leaders to admit defeat, at least for tonight.





PHOTO: Hinojsa holds up document showing time change on SB 5:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023099395

(Hat-tip: The Straight Story)


EMAIL FROM SEN. WENDY DAVIS:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023099683 (Hat-tip: MagickMuffin)

Wow. What a day.

I cannot believe the amazing outpouring of support and encouragement that you delivered over the course of my 12 1/2 hour filibuster on the Senate floor.

This may seem hard to believe but I only have a few additional words to share at this time. First, I want to say an incredible and heartfelt thank you to the ten of thousands of Texans and Americans that offered their support and wishes of kindness throughout the day. Your presence at the capitol and your calls, emails, Facebook messages and tweets have sustained us and gave me the opportunity to make your voice heard.

Most importantly, I simply have no words to express my gratitude to those who lent their voice in the over 12,000 personal stories that you bravely and selflessly shared with me to object to this dangerous legislation.

Although I was the one with the microphone on the floor of the Senate today, it was your voice and your words – it was your filibuster.

Now we can’t fool ourselves. Governor Perry and the legislative leadership see their own political livelihood tied to denying women their full rights to make their own health decisions, and they won’t stop here.

I will admit I am a bit tired. But I’m ready to keep fighting and assure you I won’t stop. And, without a doubt I know you will never stop fighting for the Texas we love.

Thank you with all my heart and we will be back to fight another day.

Your friend and, proudly, your State Senator,

Wendy


PHOTOS:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023098499



https://twitter.com/shefalil/status/349739114616197120/photo/1




(Hat-tip: Cal04)




Opponents to an abortion bill sit in the senate chamber as Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, filibusters in an effort to kill the abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)




Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, stands on a near empty senate floor as she filibusters in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)




Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, wears tennis shoes in place of her dress shoes as she begins a one-woman filibuster in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)


STORY AS IT DEVELOPED:

http://www.texastribune.org/2013/06/26/dems-approach-abortion-victory-special-session-wan

Texas senators are trying to get to the bottom of whether Republicans successfully pushed through a vote on Senate Bill 5, the omnibus abortion restriction bill, ahead of their midnight deadline.

Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, says the bill passed at 12:02 a.m.; if that's true, the vote may not withstand legal scrutiny.

"It's pretty conclusive that it didn't pass," said Whitmire.

But the Senate still has not officially adjourned sine die. When Senators resume floor proceedings, Whitmire said Democrats will call a point of order on the motion to vote on a bill after the midnight deadline.

http://www.texastribune.org/2013/06/26/dems-approach-abortion-victory-special-session-wan

@AP: BREAKING: Republicans pass new restrictions expected to close almost every abortion clinic in Texas.

@CBSNews: BREAKING NEWS: Texas Republicans pass strict new abortion curbs, overcoming long filibuster, and chaos in Senate chamber as deadline neared

@guardian: Gallery has taken over the Texas abortion filibuster with ten minutes left. Cheering disrupting the roll call vote. http://t.co/9MX4I6sKwY

@BreakingNews: Validity of Texas Senate vote over abortion bill is currently unclear - @TexasTribune

@mikestatesman: Senate just ordered senators back for a caucus to determine whether they passes SB5. Just when you thought it couldn't get stranger. #txlege

http://www.guardiannews.com/world/2013/jun/25/texas-senator-wendy-davis-filibuster-abortion

Tuesday 25 June 2013 17.48 EDT

Texas senator Wendy Davis stages marathon filibuster against abortion bill

State politician must speak for 13 hours in order to prevent stringent bill reaching the desk of governor Rick Perry


Amanda Holpuch and Helen Davidson

A Texas senator, Wendy Davis, has launched a marathon filibuster of an abortion bill that would severely restrict abortion access in the state.

To be successful, Davis must talk for 13 hours, during which she will not be allowed to sit, lean or take any breaks to go to the bathroom or eat. She is only allowed to stop speaking when listening to questions.

The Democrat senator is attempting to prevent the stringent bill from reaching the desk of Texas governor Rick Perry. The bill would ban abortion at 20 weeks gestation, place limits on abortion-inducing drugs and introduce other restrictions that advocates say would close 37 of the 42 clinics that provide abortions in the state.

The Texas House version of Senate Bill 5 passed on Monday morning, after major stalling by House Democrats. Davis's filibuster began at 11.18am CDT on Tuesday. She has argued her case by reading letters from women and doctors who would be impacted by the bill and speaking with politicians from both sides of the aisle.

VIDEO: Young Turks Explain Texas Bill & Its Implications

June 26, 2013

Wikileaks: Mr. Snowden is Not Being 'De Briefed' by the FSB (Russian Security Service)

@wikileaks: Mr. Snowden is not being 'de briefed' by the FSB. He is well and WikiLeaks' Harrison is escorting him at all times. http://t.co/Y1EBv5GCUs

6/26/13, 3:16 AM

June 26, 2013

BREAKING: Texas Abortion Bill Falls After Challenge ('Gallery Filibuster' PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Source: Associated Press / Guardian

The Associated Press @AP 11m
BREAKING: Texas lt. gov. reverses himself, declares vote on tough abortion bill came too late to pass.

https://twitter.com/AP/status/349795897737089024

Updated:

TEXAS ABORTION BILL FALLS AFTER CHALLENGE

By CHRIS TOMLINSON and JIM VERTUNO
— Jun. 26 4:01 AM EDT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas' lieutenant governor has acknowledged that Republicans missed their deadline to pass new abortion restrictions after protesters screamed down lawmakers as the final 15 minutes passed before the special legislative session's deadline.

Senators from both parties emerged from a private meeting with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and said they were about to officially acknowledge that fact.

Immediately following the vote, Republicans insisted they had started voting before the midnight deadline and passed the bill that Democrats spent much of Tuesday filibustering. But after official computer records and printouts of the voting record showed the vote took place Wednesday, and then were changed to read Tuesday, the senators convened for a private meeting.

More than 400 protesters erupted at 11:45 p.m. when Republicans suspended an 11-hour filibuster staged by Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth.



Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/texas-senator-filibusters-against-abortion-bill



VIDEO: Planned Parenthood's Cecile Richards Announces SB-5 Fails to Pass




VIDEO: Texas Near-Ban on Abortion Foiled by People's 'Gallery Filibuster'

http://www.juancole.com/2013/06/abortion-gallery-filibuster.html

Posted on 06/26/2013 by Juan Cole

This is the “gallery filibuster” — shouting by pro-choice advocates in the Senate halls after Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis’s filibuster was shut down– that so delayed the vote on a proposed law virtually banning abortion in Texas that it took place too late to be valid.




#TIMESTAMPGATE: After A Crazy Night, This Photograph Helped Kill A Controversial Texas Abortion Bill

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023099905

http://www.businessinsider.com/texas-abortion-bill-timestampgate-2013-6

According to Jones, Republicans had to admit that that they were a few minutes late on the bill, when Texas State Senator Juan Chuy Hinojosa tweeted this photo showing that the initial readout of the vote indicated it happened on June 26, but that a subsequent readout had been changed, showing June 25.

The initial time stamp on the Capitol website and on Senate documents placed the vote at 12:02 or 12:03 on June 26. But then someone mysteriously changed the time stamp to make it appear SB 5 passed before the deadline (see the post below for photographic evidence). The time stamp evidence, circulated on Twitter, eventually forced GOP leaders to admit defeat, at least for tonight.





PHOTO: Hinojsa holds up document showing time change on SB 5:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023099395

(Hat-tip: The Straight Story)


EMAIL FROM SEN. WENDY DAVIS:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023099683 (Hat-tip: MagickMuffin)

Wow. What a day.

I cannot believe the amazing outpouring of support and encouragement that you delivered over the course of my 12 1/2 hour filibuster on the Senate floor.

This may seem hard to believe but I only have a few additional words to share at this time. First, I want to say an incredible and heartfelt thank you to the ten of thousands of Texans and Americans that offered their support and wishes of kindness throughout the day. Your presence at the capitol and your calls, emails, Facebook messages and tweets have sustained us and gave me the opportunity to make your voice heard.

Most importantly, I simply have no words to express my gratitude to those who lent their voice in the over 12,000 personal stories that you bravely and selflessly shared with me to object to this dangerous legislation.

Although I was the one with the microphone on the floor of the Senate today, it was your voice and your words – it was your filibuster.

Now we can’t fool ourselves. Governor Perry and the legislative leadership see their own political livelihood tied to denying women their full rights to make their own health decisions, and they won’t stop here.

I will admit I am a bit tired. But I’m ready to keep fighting and assure you I won’t stop. And, without a doubt I know you will never stop fighting for the Texas we love.

Thank you with all my heart and we will be back to fight another day.

Your friend and, proudly, your State Senator,

Wendy


PHOTOS:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023098499



https://twitter.com/shefalil/status/349739114616197120/photo/1




(Hat-tip: Cal04)




Opponents to an abortion bill sit in the senate chamber as Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, filibusters in an effort to kill the abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)




Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, stands on a near empty senate floor as she filibusters in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)




Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, wears tennis shoes in place of her dress shoes as she begins a one-woman filibuster in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)


STORY AS IT DEVELOPED:

http://www.texastribune.org/2013/06/26/dems-approach-abortion-victory-special-session-wan

Texas senators are trying to get to the bottom of whether Republicans successfully pushed through a vote on Senate Bill 5, the omnibus abortion restriction bill, ahead of their midnight deadline.

Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, says the bill passed at 12:02 a.m.; if that's true, the vote may not withstand legal scrutiny.

"It's pretty conclusive that it didn't pass," said Whitmire.

But the Senate still has not officially adjourned sine die. When Senators resume floor proceedings, Whitmire said Democrats will call a point of order on the motion to vote on a bill after the midnight deadline.

http://www.texastribune.org/2013/06/26/dems-approach-abortion-victory-special-session-wan

@AP: BREAKING: Republicans pass new restrictions expected to close almost every abortion clinic in Texas.

@CBSNews: BREAKING NEWS: Texas Republicans pass strict new abortion curbs, overcoming long filibuster, and chaos in Senate chamber as deadline neared

@guardian: Gallery has taken over the Texas abortion filibuster with ten minutes left. Cheering disrupting the roll call vote. http://t.co/9MX4I6sKwY

@BreakingNews: Validity of Texas Senate vote over abortion bill is currently unclear - @TexasTribune

@mikestatesman: Senate just ordered senators back for a caucus to determine whether they passes SB5. Just when you thought it couldn't get stranger. #txlege

http://www.guardiannews.com/world/2013/jun/25/texas-senator-wendy-davis-filibuster-abortion

Tuesday 25 June 2013 17.48 EDT

Texas senator Wendy Davis stages marathon filibuster against abortion bill

State politician must speak for 13 hours in order to prevent stringent bill reaching the desk of governor Rick Perry


Amanda Holpuch and Helen Davidson

A Texas senator, Wendy Davis, has launched a marathon filibuster of an abortion bill that would severely restrict abortion access in the state.

To be successful, Davis must talk for 13 hours, during which she will not be allowed to sit, lean or take any breaks to go to the bathroom or eat. She is only allowed to stop speaking when listening to questions.

The Democrat senator is attempting to prevent the stringent bill from reaching the desk of Texas governor Rick Perry. The bill would ban abortion at 20 weeks gestation, place limits on abortion-inducing drugs and introduce other restrictions that advocates say would close 37 of the 42 clinics that provide abortions in the state.

The Texas House version of Senate Bill 5 passed on Monday morning, after major stalling by House Democrats. Davis's filibuster began at 11.18am CDT on Tuesday. She has argued her case by reading letters from women and doctors who would be impacted by the bill and speaking with politicians from both sides of the aisle.

VIDEO: Young Turks Explain Texas Bill & Its Implications

June 26, 2013

Texas Legis.: "You may not recognize the gallery, sir, but the gallery has recognized you."

@zunguzungu: You may not recognize the gallery, sir, but the gallery has recognized you.

@guardian: Gallery has taken over the Texas abortion filibuster with ten minutes left. Cheering disrupting the roll call vote. http://t.co/9MX4I6sKwY

LIVE FEED: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/06/25/watch-wendy-davis-filibuster-of-texas-abortion-law-video/

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