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TX State Senator leads 11 hour filibuster that successfully beats anti-abortion bill

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HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
wow. i can't believe it. major kudos to the democratic senators to stall this stupid thing, and huge props to the gallery for literally making their voices heard.

times like these make me wish i could still catch the daily show. it's going to be awesome tomorrow.

Stewart is gonna rue the fact that he isnt there to handle it.
 
Eric Erikson: Just like a woman, never shutting up.

no, this is not a real quote. but you know he thought it.

Women are a joke to that guy.
 
I doubt this alone is going to lead to more seats. If the Dems can continue to highlight the Repubs pulling bullshit though...


But do you suppose this might empower more democrats to proudly support choice, much like most dems are no longer hesitant to support gay marriage?
 

FyreWulff

Member
Women's rights won tonight, but any way you cut it this was not a good day for democracy.

How?

A Senator did a legitimate filibuster. Not a threat of one, not one where they're on a plane back to their home state while their filibuster is 'active', the senator actually stood for the time and read on-topic material into the filibuster.

The Senate wrote their rules with a democractic vote. Fuck her for doing what the rules allow, I guess? If you don't want a filibuster, you know it's possible for it to be removed by vote?
 

Chichikov

Member
How?

A Senator did a legitimate filibuster. Not a threat of one, not one where they're on a plane back to their home state while their filibuster is 'active', the senator actually stood for the time and read on-topic material into the filibuster.

The Senate wrote their rules with a democractic vote. Fuck her for doing what the rules allow, I guess? If you don't want a filibuster, you know it's possible for it to be removed by vote?
No.
Good on her and good on Texas Democrats for showing some balls (I hope US Senate Democrats take note).
But fuck those rules.
Again, I'm happy with the end result, but this is a fortunate outcome from a poorly functioning democracy.
 

xelios

Universal Access can be found under System Preferences
Thank you thank you thank you. Even though I hate all the tactics and time wasting involved in these processes I am VERY happy they managed to get out of this.
 
Hate to ask, but can someone sum up the last few hours? Some news is saying it was defeated, and some says GOP is trying to use a sort of loophole? What's going on, please?
 
No.
Good on her and good on Texas Democrats for showing some balls (I hope US Senate Democrats take note).
But fuck those rules.
Again, I'm happy with the end result, but this is a fortunate outcome from a poorly functioning democracy.


What is the possibility that this might start a rippling tide in other red states? North Dakota could have certainly benefitted from a moment like this.

Could it empower democratic politicians to more openly embrace prochoice positions instead of doing so with their heads stooped down in shame?
 

Chichikov

Member
From a philosophical perspective, I think democracy needs to be clear, transparent and understandable, those rules are anything but, not to mention that they favor those who better lawyer them up, which is not what I think we should encourage.
From a practical perspective, filibuster can only be used to stop legislation, so in the long run, they tend to favor conservatives (who in the grand scheme of things want to keep things the way they are), so as a progressive I oppose them.

Also, being on the losing side of such effort tend to erode people trust and belief in democracy, which is a bad thing.

I think there are better ways to protect the rights of the minority (in broad storkes, I think this is what a constitution should do).
 

freddy

Banned
Hate to ask, but can someone sum up the last few hours? Some news is saying it was defeated, and some says GOP is trying to use a sort of loophole? What's going on, please?

David Dewhurst Verified account
@DavidHDewhurst
Husband, father, veteran, businessman and Texas Lt. Governor.

^^^ This guy declared the bill couldn't be signed in the presence of the Senate and as a result wasn't passed. I assume he meant time was up before it could happen.
 
David Dewhurst Verified account
@DavidHDewhurst
Husband, father, veteran, businessman and Texas Lt. Governor.

^^^ This guy declared the bill couldn't be signed in the presence of the Senate and as a result wasn't passed. I assume he meant time was up before it could happen.

Funny, I thought they said that they were trying to stop the filibuster...
 

Suairyu

Banned
The notion that a single person can stop a law with majority support from being voted in by talking until a certain deadline is dumb and, frankly, not very democratic at all.

You can see the genuine confusion of all non-US posters in this thread. The very concept of a filibuster (as we perceive it from this story) is ludicrous.

Outcome is great, process to the outcome is not.
 

freddy

Banned
Funny, I thought they said that they were trying to stop the filibuster...

Well they did try to stop it but after Senator Davis was ruled to have broken the rules of the 'filibuster thing' 3 times with about 1 hour and 3/4 remaining, a few other Senators stepped in with objections to try to delay the vote and the public gallery started making a huge racket with about 10-15 minutes to go and in the confusion the vote was almost reached but not quite in time.
 
This was banning abortions after 20 weeks, or so the article says. What's the big deal? It's not outlawing abortions altogether. After 20 weeks it's a slippery slope since it's close to when a baby could be born and live. I dunno how I feel about that.

I'm about to get crucified I know.
 
The notion that a single person can stop a law with majority support from being voted in by talking until a certain deadline is dumb and, frankly, not very democratic at all.

You can see the genuine confusion of all non-US posters in this thread. The very concept of a filibuster (as we perceive it from this story) is ludicrous.

Outcome is great, process to the outcome is not.

This. The fact that it has been abused by both parties in the past for their own means does not make it any better. Two wrongs don't make a right, it shouldn't have to be a viable tactic. Bills should be passed or shot down on their own merits.
 

FyreWulff

Member
This was banning abortions after 20 weeks, or so the article says. What's the big deal? It's not outlawing abortions altogether. After 20 weeks it's a slippery slope since it's close to when a baby could be born and live. I dunno how I feel about that.

I'm about to get crucified I know.

Required clinics to become surgical centers. This would cut down the amount of clinics for the entire state of Texas from 42 to 5.

It would require the performing doctor to have the ability to admit a patient within 30 miles of a hospital. Go look how big Texas is, this would make reproductive care essentially unavailable to women in most of the rural area. It essentially bans abortion in western Texas.

It's one of those GOP "we're not completely banning abortion, but making it virtually unavailable. It's technically available" bullshit moves.
 
This was banning abortions after 20 weeks, or so the article says. What's the big deal? It's not outlawing abortions altogether. After 20 weeks it's a slippery slope since it's close to when a baby could be born and live. I dunno how I feel about that.

I'm about to get crucified I know.
It also effectively closed all but 5 abortion clinics in the state of Texas and that's the main issue with this.
 
The notion that a single person can stop a law with majority support from being voted in by talking until a certain deadline is dumb and, frankly, not very democratic at all.

You can see the genuine confusion of all non-US posters in this thread. The very concept of a filibuster (as we perceive it from this story) is ludicrous.

Outcome is great, process to the outcome is not.

I like the concept but the execution in Texas may not be the best thing. Laws differ from state to state. That in and of itself is not a sign of bad democracy, just different rules. I like the concept of a filibuster but it may not be executed the best in this case.
 

Chumly

Member
This was banning abortions after 20 weeks, or so the article says. What's the big deal? It's not outlawing abortions altogether. After 20 weeks it's a slippery slope since it's close to when a baby could be born and live. I dunno how I feel about that.

I'm about to get crucified I know.
Time to catch up for you. That literally has almost nothing to do with why people are upset at the bill.
 
Well they did try to stop it but after Senator Davis was ruled to have broken the rules of the 'filibuster thing' 3 times with about 1 hour and 3/4 remaining, a few other Senators stepped in with objections to try to delay the vote and the public gallery started making a huge racket with about 10-15 minutes to go and in the confusion the vote was almost reached but not quite in time.

Ahh.. Thanks
 

Wubby

Member
Would Perry actually do it though after all the national attention it has gotten? I'd think it would be better to wait a year.
 

dskillzhtown

keep your strippers out of my American football
It also effectively closed all but 5 abortion clinics in the state of Texas and that's the main issue with this.

Also most of the 37 clinics that would have been closed are in rural areas. Rural areas hours away from a hospital. Rural areas where there are poor people who use the clinics for prenatal care because they can't afford/don't have access to much else. As much as this is being described as an attack on women, it is also an attack on the poor.
 

Zoe

Member
Would Perry actually do it though after all the national attention it has gotten? I'd think it would be better to wait a year.

They have to call another session because of the other bills that got blocked by the filibuster.
 

Suairyu

Banned
I like the concept but the execution in Texas may not be the best thing. Laws differ from state to state. That in and of itself is not a sign of bad democracy, just different rules. I like the concept of a filibuster but it may not be executed the best in this case.
What about one person being able to talk indefinitely and block a bill with majority support do you like on a conceptual level?
 

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
The notion that a single person can stop a law with majority support from being voted in by talking until a certain deadline is dumb and, frankly, not very democratic at all.

You can see the genuine confusion of all non-US posters in this thread. The very concept of a filibuster (as we perceive it from this story) is ludicrous.

Outcome is great, process to the outcome is not.

Sure,

And Perry called a special session which are supposed to be reserved for critical bills (budget concerns, infrastructure, etc) in order to ram through another one of these bills. The special session strips the Senate of many of its rules to attempt to force a vote without adequate debate and by stripping the minorities few powers away other than filibuster.
 

dskillzhtown

keep your strippers out of my American football
Perry seems to take pleasure in trolling progressives. Also, he's a fucking idiot.

I think, no I know that his most loyal supporters are even more conservative than he is. He is appealing to who pays for his campaigns. The irony is that the more of a hardline stance he keeps taking on issues the less likely he will ever become president, which is his dream.
 
I do not normally comment on "political" topics, but I cannot remain silent on this one any longer; I expect to be condemned by most of the NeoGAF community.

The American Holocaust must be stopped.
 

ivysaur12

Banned
Just woke up with the DOMA jitters. What an amazing thing to see.

I do not normally comment on "political" topics, but I cannot remain silent on this one any longer; I expect to be condemned by most of the NeoGAF community.

The American Holocaust must be stopped.

6 million people were slaughtered during the Holocaust. Millions more were tortured through concentration camps. They were separated from their families, thrown into ghettos, stabbed, shot, gassed, starved, experimented on...

That has no correlation or relevance to a woman's terminating or not terminating a zygote. What a slap in the face to the victims of the Holocaust.
 
I do not normally comment on "political" topics, but I cannot remain silent on this one any longer; I expect to be condemned by most of the NeoGAF community.

The American Holocaust must be stopped.

There is no such thing. Only women (often in conjunction with men) making deciosions about their own bodies.
 

marrec

Banned
The notion that a single person can stop a law with majority support from being voted in by talking until a certain deadline is dumb and, frankly, not very democratic at all.

You can see the genuine confusion of all non-US posters in this thread. The very concept of a filibuster (as we perceive it from this story) is ludicrous.

Outcome is great, process to the outcome is not.

The Republicans had an special session of 30 days entirely devoted to the debate of this bill and they couldn't get it passed. It took more than just a single filibuster, though this filibuster was important.
 
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