After weeks of protest and rallies gathering at the State Capitol, the House has passed a bill that would restrict abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
According to Reuters, the bill is now being passed over to Governor Rick Perry, who is said to more than likely sign off on it.
The site reports:
The 20-week provision is based on disputed research suggesting fetuses feel pain at that point in a pregnancy. Current limits are 26 weeks in Texas.
The Senate passed the measure late on Friday by a vote of 19 to 11 in front of a full public gallery while protesters yelled and chanted outside the chamber.
The rallies have been getting more and more intense as the days go on, with protestors chanting “Who’s choice? Our choice!”.
Outside the chamber, as senators gave their closing statements, the crowd grew so loud that troopers were being issued orange earplugs. Protesters were shouting, ‘‘Shame! Shame! Shame!’
Boston.com reports:
The circus-like atmosphere in the Texas Capitol marked the culmination of weeks of protests, the most dramatic of which came June 25 in the final minutes of the last special legislative session, when a Democratic filibuster and subsequent protest prevented the bill from becoming law.
Attention has been called to the bill after Senator Wendy Davis completed an 11-hour filibuster, which prompted the House to sign off on it.
Check out a video of the protest at the Capitol above and below.
