It was a crazy week in Texas. On June 25, the Texas
legislative session was winding down, but the Senate had yet to vote on a bill
that would greatly increase regulations on abortionists and their facilities.
Senator Wendy Davis became an overnight celebrity when her 10-hour filibuster,
combined with the noise of the pro-abortion audience, pushed the final vote til
after midnight. Because the legislative session ended at midnight, the vote was
invalid.
The story doesn’t end there, though; Governor Rick Perry called
a special session in order to give the bill another chance. Since Monday, July
1, thousands of Texans have swarmed Austin to voice their opinions of the bill.
Supporters of HB2
wear blue; opponents wear orange. After hearing hours of testimonies, the House
State Affairs Committee voted in favor of the bill, 8-3. Next week, HB2 will
continue to the House, while its companion bill, SB1, will likely be discussed
in committee on Monday.
In part due to the dramatic end to the legislative session,
Texas has received national attention and attracted support, criticism, and
debate from all over the country. However, North Carolina is fighting a similar
battle, and it’s important for North Carolina citizens to be actively involved
in what’s going on at home.
On Wednesday, July 3, in spite of hundreds of pro-abortion
supporters who flooded the Legislature, the NC Senate passed H695. This bill includes provisions seeking to
prohibit sex selection abortions, to require physicians to be physically
present during an abortion, and to opt out of abortion coverage in the federal
exchange. To pro-lifers, these measures
seem obvious. Why wouldn’t people want to ban sex selective abortions, or to
ensure that a doctor is in the room when a mother takes a deadly pill with
risky side effects? To abortion rights supporters, though, such measures are
merely obstacles between a woman and her “right” to choose, and they are
desperate to protect that “right” to abortion for any reason, any time.
While H695 has passed in the Senate, it still has a long way
to go before it becomes law. On Tuesday, July 9, there will be a vote to concur
in the House Health and Human Services Committee, and the bill could possibly be
on the House floor later that day for the full House vote. If the committee and full House concur then
it will be on its way to the governor’s desk. YOUR
SUPPORT IS VITAL! These measures will save lives, but our legislators need
to hear from their pro-life constituents immediately. You can be sure they are
hearing from those who want abortion to be legal without any restriction. Please visit our
website, www.ncrtl.org, and look under
“Action Alert” to see how you can help!
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