Austin, Texas (CNN) -- A bill that places new restrictions on abortion passed the Texas Senate on Friday after days of debate that galvanized activists nationwide.
It was the second attempt by the measure's supporters to pass the bill in the Senate -- it originally failed to gain approval because of a filibuster by Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis.
The Senate voted 19 to 11 to approve the restrictions.
Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who supports the new abortion laws, called the state Legislature back into a second special session to continue consideration of the bill, which passed the Texas House on Wednesday.
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The measure bans abortions past 20 weeks of gestation, mandates abortion clinics become ambulatory surgical centers, tightens usage guidelines for the drug RU486 and requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic at which they're providing such services.
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Critics of the measure say it would shut down most abortion clinics in Texas -- denying access to many in rural communities -- and force women to seek dangerous back-alley abortions.
The Republican legislators who support it say the bill isn't about banning abortions, but rather about protecting women's health.
The special session was marked by loud protests and high-profile voices from both sides of the abortion debate.
Taking a swipe at former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, who came to Austin to support the bill, Democratic Sen. Kirk Watson made a final appeal to the Republicans to vote no, asking them to: "Take this chance to stop, take this chance to think, take this chance to stop listening to the partisans and failed presidential candidates."
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However, for supporters of the bill such as Sen. Jane Nelson, the bill's measures are long overdue.
"There is a clear choice in this vote tonight," she said. "Do we keep the lax standards, do we forgo safeguards, do we ignore the evidence that at 20 weeks we have a child who can feel? Or do we choose life?"
The roars of the crowd in the rotunda were audible throughout the Senate debate and at one point, abortion rights protesters disrupted the proceedings in the Senate gallery. One protester, singing quietly to the chamber, chained herself to a railing in the gallery and brought the session to a brief halt.
The bill makes its way to Perry, who will sign it into law.
"Today the Texas Legislature took its final step in our historic effort to protect life," Perry said after the bill's passage. "This legislation builds on the strong and unwavering commitment we have made to defend life and protect women's health. I am proud of our lawmakers and citizens who tirelessly defended our smallest and most vulnerable Texans and future Texans."
Planned Parenthood, a leading reproductive health provider, decried the passage and called on voters to throw out the politicians who voted for it.
"If you are angry about what happened in Texas tonight -- and what's happening in other states all around the country -- there is something you can do about it," spokeswoman Dawn Laguens said. "Register to vote, and vote for candidates who will protect women's access to health care."
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I think someone will sue and the supreme court will call this new law unconstitutional.

Time for Texas to secede from the union!

I'd be all for it.

I agree that this would be a good thing.

Critics of the measure say it would shut down most abortion clinics in Texas -- denying access to many in rural communities

Name one Planned Parenthood in a "rural community". That's ridiculous.

They're always in cities. That's where the blacks and hispanics live. And that's who Planned Parenthood especially targets. The numbers don't lie. Look them up if you don't believe me. In fact, I hope you don't believe me. Go look them up.

Remember that -- more blacks and other minorities die by abortion than any other race. Planned Parenthood was founded by eugenicist Margaret Sanger. Her views were right in line with the notorious Adolf Hitler. She was truly a racist, in the negative, pejorative sense it is used today ("hatred of other races").

Quote from: Matthew

Critics of the measure say it would shut down most abortion clinics in Texas -- denying access to many in rural communities

Name one Planned Parenthood in a "rural community". That's ridiculous.

They're always in cities. That's where the blacks and hispanics live. And that's who Planned Parenthood especially targets. The numbers don't lie. Look them up if you don't believe me. In fact, I hope you don't believe me. Go look them up.

Remember that -- more blacks and other minorities die by abortion than any other race. Planned Parenthood was founded by eugenicist Margaret Sanger. Her views were right in line with the notorious Adolf Hitler. She was truly a racist, in the negative, pejorative sense it is used today ("hatred of other races").

I constantly hear this from pro-life groups and I know Sanger was trying to kill off blacks, but I've only seen white women go into surgical abortion clinics. A man I knew who protested outside of them for many years remarked when he saw the first Hispanic woman. I do know a Mexican woman who had four abortions.
 What struck me was how financially comfortable the white families were, there were lots of nice cars.

I constantly hear this from pro-life groups and I know Sanger was trying to kill off blacks, but I've only seen white women go into surgical abortion clinics. A man I knew who protested outside of them for many years remarked when he saw the first Hispanic woman. I do know a Mexican woman who had four abortions.
 What struck me was how financially comfortable the white families were, there were lots of nice cars.

I just pulled up "planned parenthood locations" in this area on Google maps and the patterns are interesting. You can't completely trust the map as it pulled up a few that just had similar key words, but generally they're in (1) large cities -- SA, Austin, Houston; (2) college towns; and (3) a cluster of 9! clinics between McAllen and Brownsville (most southern tip of TX).

Will this new law punish the women and doctors who seek and perform illegal abortions with prison?

On the point of black people and abortion, I do wonder if many are having abortions.

A friend of mine was leafleting for a pro-life rally a few years in an Irish suburb that has attracted coloured immigrants. The local people he encountered had at most one or two children whilst the African people had 4,5, even 7 children.

The black people were smiling when taking the pro-life leaflet whilst the white women   were quite miserable and never even smiled.

The black people seemed to be more against abortion in that case.

Though in Ireland now, the pro-immigration groups have started to use black women to agitate for abortion. A woman from Nigeria appeared on the platform of pro-abort groups when they were using the death of an Indian woman, to push for abortion.

I can't speak to the situation in Ireland or elsewhere, as I don't live there. But what I said is quite accurate for America.