Wendigo
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- Posted: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 18:10:13 +0000
You may have heard of Wendy Davis, the Democratic state Senator in Texas who recently filibustered for thirteen(sorry, about ten hours) to keep a bill restricting abortions from passing. For those who were unaware, Texas recently passed a controversial sonogram law, and would have added several new hurdles to jump in order to provide or receive an abortion:
While the 20 week prohibition is getting a lot of attention, these two requirements would close the majority of abortion clinics currently operating in Texas. (Admitting privileges in a hospital that provides gynecological services no more than 30 miles away? That seems to require the topology of the city to suit the law, not the doctor.)
I do believe that the filibuster successfully stopped that bill, as the vote was held about three minutes after the special session concluded. Anyway, here's what interests me.
So, what do you say? Should the bill have passed? Was Wendy Davis the victim of a terrorist attack aimed at suppressing pro-choice activity in Texas? Will we see more bills like this, more filibusters, or more fire bombings in the future?
EDIT: Cripes, looked at the wrong timestamps. Articles "posted x hours ago" but about something that happened last year. Way to go, interwebs:
Quote:
Sec. 171.0031. REQUIREMENTS OF PHYSICIAN; OFFENSE. (a)
A physician performing or inducing an abortion:
(1) must, on the date the abortion is performed, have active admitting privileges at a hospital that:
(A) is located not further than 30 miles from the location at which the abortion is performed or induced; and
(B) provides obstetrical or gynecological health care services;
A physician performing or inducing an abortion:
(1) must, on the date the abortion is performed, have active admitting privileges at a hospital that:
(A) is located not further than 30 miles from the location at which the abortion is performed or induced; and
(B) provides obstetrical or gynecological health care services;
Quote:
SECTION 4. Section 245.010(a), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) The rules must contain minimum standards to protect the
health and safety of a patient of an abortion facility and must
contain provisions requiring compliance with the requirements of
Subchapter B, Chapter 171. On and after September 1, 2014, the
minimum standards for an abortion facility must be equivalent to
the minimum standards adopted under Section 243.010 for ambulatory
surgical centers.
amended to read as follows:
(a) The rules must contain minimum standards to protect the
health and safety of a patient of an abortion facility and must
contain provisions requiring compliance with the requirements of
Subchapter B, Chapter 171. On and after September 1, 2014, the
minimum standards for an abortion facility must be equivalent to
the minimum standards adopted under Section 243.010 for ambulatory
surgical centers.
While the 20 week prohibition is getting a lot of attention, these two requirements would close the majority of abortion clinics currently operating in Texas. (Admitting privileges in a hospital that provides gynecological services no more than 30 miles away? That seems to require the topology of the city to suit the law, not the doctor.)
Quote:
Sec. 171.043. DETERMINATION OF POST-FERTILIZATION AGE
REQUIRED. Except as otherwise provided by Section 171.046, a
physician may not perform or induce or attempt to perform or induce
an abortion without, prior to the procedure:
(1) making a determination of the probable
post-fertilization age of the unborn child; or
(2) possessing and relying on a determination of the
probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child made by another
physician.
Sec. 171.044. ABORTION OF UNBORN CHILD OF 20 OR MORE WEEKS
POST-FERTILIZATION AGE PROHIBITED. Except as otherwise provided by
Section 171.046, a person may not perform or induce or attempt to
perform or induce an abortion on a woman if it has been determined,
by the physician performing, inducing, or attempting to perform or
induce the abortion or by another physician on whose determination
that physician relies, that the probable post-fertilization age of
the unborn child is 20 or more weeks.
REQUIRED. Except as otherwise provided by Section 171.046, a
physician may not perform or induce or attempt to perform or induce
an abortion without, prior to the procedure:
(1) making a determination of the probable
post-fertilization age of the unborn child; or
(2) possessing and relying on a determination of the
probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child made by another
physician.
Sec. 171.044. ABORTION OF UNBORN CHILD OF 20 OR MORE WEEKS
POST-FERTILIZATION AGE PROHIBITED. Except as otherwise provided by
Section 171.046, a person may not perform or induce or attempt to
perform or induce an abortion on a woman if it has been determined,
by the physician performing, inducing, or attempting to perform or
induce the abortion or by another physician on whose determination
that physician relies, that the probable post-fertilization age of
the unborn child is 20 or more weeks.
I do believe that the filibuster successfully stopped that bill, as the vote was held about three minutes after the special session concluded. Anyway, here's what interests me.
Quote:
Police are trying to identify the man who entered the West 7th office of State Sen. Wendy Davis Tuesday afternoon and threw two firebombs just outside the door.
Two staffers were in the third floor office when the attack occurred around 4 o'clock. One of them had to leap over the flames to escape, then went to the break room, grabbed an extinguisher and put out the fire.
No one was hurt, but the lawmaker's office was damaged by the fire.
Investigators said Sen. Davis was at her law office closer to downtown Fort Worth at the time of the incident. She was kept in lockdown by Department of Public Safety officers for four hours for her own protection.
http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Suspect-throws-firebombs-into-FW-office-of-state-lawmaker-143567356.html
Two staffers were in the third floor office when the attack occurred around 4 o'clock. One of them had to leap over the flames to escape, then went to the break room, grabbed an extinguisher and put out the fire.
No one was hurt, but the lawmaker's office was damaged by the fire.
Investigators said Sen. Davis was at her law office closer to downtown Fort Worth at the time of the incident. She was kept in lockdown by Department of Public Safety officers for four hours for her own protection.
http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Suspect-throws-firebombs-into-FW-office-of-state-lawmaker-143567356.html
So, what do you say? Should the bill have passed? Was Wendy Davis the victim of a terrorist attack aimed at suppressing pro-choice activity in Texas? Will we see more bills like this, more filibusters, or more fire bombings in the future?
EDIT: Cripes, looked at the wrong timestamps. Articles "posted x hours ago" but about something that happened last year. Way to go, interwebs:
Quote:
Cedric Steele, who has been living in an abandoned home on Donnelly Avenue, was arrested late Tuesday in a convenience store parking lot in the 6000 block of Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead said.
He faces a charge of arson of a building. Bond is set at $50,000.
Steele had visited Davis' office Friday and again Monday, requesting to speak with the senator about a tazing incident that occurred in Michigan, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
He left behind part of a dead animal, "stating it was a new species and wanted the senator to see it," the affidavit said.
Davis said Steele's demeanor and his demands led her staff members to believe that "he was probably not completely stable."
...
Before his arrest, Steele "spoke of an alien species" to officers and said he "had another piece of the alien in the rafter" of the vacant residence on Donnelly, the affidavit says.
Halstead said bottles filled with an accelerant were used to spark the small fire outside Davis' third-floor offices in the So7 development, on West Seventh Street just west of downtown, about 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Steele is wanted on warrants out of Tulsa, Okla., for aggravated assault and battery and interruption, disruption or interference with an emergency call, court officials there confirm.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/03/20/3824423/wendy-davis-fort-worth-office.html
He faces a charge of arson of a building. Bond is set at $50,000.
Steele had visited Davis' office Friday and again Monday, requesting to speak with the senator about a tazing incident that occurred in Michigan, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
He left behind part of a dead animal, "stating it was a new species and wanted the senator to see it," the affidavit said.
Davis said Steele's demeanor and his demands led her staff members to believe that "he was probably not completely stable."
...
Before his arrest, Steele "spoke of an alien species" to officers and said he "had another piece of the alien in the rafter" of the vacant residence on Donnelly, the affidavit says.
Halstead said bottles filled with an accelerant were used to spark the small fire outside Davis' third-floor offices in the So7 development, on West Seventh Street just west of downtown, about 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Steele is wanted on warrants out of Tulsa, Okla., for aggravated assault and battery and interruption, disruption or interference with an emergency call, court officials there confirm.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/03/20/3824423/wendy-davis-fort-worth-office.html
