By Shelley Koffler, KERA News
DALLAS – Those celebrating the legislative defeat of new abortion restrictions in Texas had a short-lived victory. Governor Rick Perry has called a new special session to vote on abortion restrictions again. State Senator Wendy Davis, whose filibuster helped defeat the bill Tuesday, talked to KERA’s Shelley Kofler about what comes next, and whether she plans to run for Governor.
Sen. Wendy Davis says she was able to filibuster and help kill the bill because the Republican leaders scheduled the abortion vote so close to the end of the session and the clock ran out. She doesn’t think the Republicans will make that mistake again.
“I think they’ll be smarter this time and cram this down the throats of Texans,” she said in an interview Wednesday with KERA.
Davis credits the hundreds of angry bill opponents who packed the state capitol with playing a big part in the bill’s demise. Their outburst from the Senate gallery delayed the bill’s signing until after the deadline. Davis doesn’t think they’re going away.
“People are awake and watching and they’re upset by what they feel is an intrusion on their personal liberties by this governor and lieutenant governor. And I don’t this is going to go silently into the night. I think we are going to see people engaged and enraged for a long time to come,” said Davis.
Davis says she hopes the public outcry will have an effect at the ballot box. Speculation is growing that she might be interested in running for governor next year though no Democrat has won statewide since 1994. Here’s how she answers the question:
“I like many people am becoming more and more fed up by this Governor. I think the larger question is will people respond enough to demand a change in leadership in this state.”
Governor Perry has not yet announced whether he plans to run for a fourth consecutive term. But he may have a few things to say about the next round in the abortion battle and Sen. Davis when he addresses the National Right to Life convention today in Dallas.
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