BUSINESSINSIDER.COM3 Hours Ago

Texas Governor Calls Special Section To Pass Filibustered Abortion Bill

by Brett LoGiurato

REUTERS/Jaime R. Carrero

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has called for a July 1 special session of the Texas legislature to address "unfinished business" from the last session, which ended in chaos after a marathon filibuster of a controversial abortion law Tuesday night.

"I am calling the Legislature back into session because too much important work remains undone for the people of Texas. Through their duly elected representatives, the citizens of our state have made crystal clear their priorities for our great state," Perry said in a statement.

"We will not allow the breakdown of decorum and decency to prevent us from doing what the people of this state hired us to do."

There are three items of legislation on the agenda, but attention will center on the abortion bill, SB5, which temporarily died Tuesday night after a near 13-hour filibuster from state Sen. Wendy Davis (D). 

The bill would impose some of the most restrictive measures on abortion in the nation. It would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and impose new regulations on abortion clinics, such as a requirement that doctors providing abortions have admitting procedures at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic.

Supporters contend that the new requirements would improve patient care, but opponents claim they are a pretext designed to close as many as 37 of Texas' 42 abortion clinics.

Texas Governor Calls Special Section To Pass Filibustered Abortion Bill
http://www.businessinsider.com/texas-abortion-bill-filibuster-special-session-legislature-rick-perry-wendy-davis-2013-6

John Hames