The Insanity in Austin: HB2 & the Fight against Mob Rule

The Actual Bill and What it Does• Reduces the number of weeks to consider

unrestricted abortion from the federal 24 weeks to 20 weeks – WITH exception for life or irreparable harm to the mother or gross physical abnormality.

• Requires abortion clinics to meet the requirements of a day surgery center: backup power, doctor having hospital admitting privileges, be able to handle gurneys, etc.

• A dozen states have this stuff on the books.

The Big Mess Set up by Kabuki Theater

• Bill was a slam-dunk to pass. Straus delayed hearing it in the 1st Special Session by a week. Spent almost 2 days on a redistricting change that only serve to try to save Bennett Ratliff. Passed out to Senate with little time, but by a wide margin. Dewhurst set up to fail.

• Wendy Davis moved to filibuster, but Dewhurst knew he could break it. Broke it with 10 minutes to spare.

• Gallery went so ballistic with so much noise that time expired before vote finalized. Such mob rule has NEVER happened in Texas.

Why the Big Fight Here?• Battleground Texas money• Market share: the 75-83,000 abortions done in Texas

represents 20-25% of the NATIONAL market of Planned Parenthood ($$$)

• ‘Home field advantage’ : Austin being our liberal sanctuary allowed for putting on a big show; bill opponents switched from pink to orange so they could draw huge crowds of marginally interested students off campus with food & entertainment. Drew 8-10K with freebies; 2K without.

• Pro-life Blue started slow; beat Orange count mid-week

Second Session: Contrast of Rallies• Orange screamed for 9 straight hours one day.

• ‘Hail Satan’ – UK ‘church’ of Satan worship released statement distancing themselves

• ‘F**K the church’ ; another goodie• Blue side absolutely maintained discipline and did

NOT respond. Had GREAT rally on Wednesday.• Final Senate vote: 270 DPS officers – during surprise

bag check, confiscated 18 jars of feces, 3 jars of red paint, one of urine, one BRICK, and innumerable feminine hygiene products (some used, some from women in the 60s) from Orange trying to enter gallery.

• Final Day: 20+ arrests, lots of chanting. Bill passed.

Final Result• Despite the big show, the liberal side did INCREDIBLE

damage to their credibility with this effort.• Wendy Davis got big press- and likely ended her elected

political career. (Juxtapose her calling them those ‘beautiful people’ with scads of UGLY video of them… finished.)

• The Pro-life movement shined- and scored BIG points in the pink building for it. The COMPROMISED- and got a first step forward for doing so.

• The actual bill will have a VERY limited impact on the number of abortions; 10% or more would be a surprise.

Bottom Line: Victory over Mob Rule!

Done and Signed!