Texas senators began hearing public testimony yesterday on the recently revived anti-abortion bill SB 1.
The bill, which would force the closure of all but six abortion clinics throughout the state and make abortions illegal after 20 weeks, was killed last month
But just because the bill is all but guaranteed to pass this time around doesn't mean opponents can't speak out against it.
Or does it?
A Central Texas resident Sarah Slamen brought down the hammer of citizen justice on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee's anti-choice members with an excoriation for the ages — until she was unceremoniously shut down by Chairwoman Jane Nelson (R) mid-speech, and then dragged away by four DPS Troopers.
Asked by Daily Kos if she received an explanation as to why she was thrown out of the chamber before her time elapsed, Slamen said she did not:
Senator Jane Nelson tried to say I was being disrespectful but how would she know? I barely got to give the complete performance review of every member on the committee. Pointing out that Sen. Donna Campbell is an ophthalmologist is not disrespectful when she asserts in a state hearing that she should be THE expert on reproductive health. What was disrespectful was the parade of anti-choice zealots and misogynists who got up for 13 hours and called women murderers, killers, promiscuous, thoughtless, and selfish. Not a peep from committee chair Nelson on those.
Regardless of where public opinion ultimately falls, Texas legislators look hellbent on passing the abortion bill this time around, with House members planning to vote on their version as early as today.
[H/T: Dangerous Minds]