On Thursday, Governor Rick Perry spoke to the National Right to Life conference in Dallas. He had this to say about Senator Wendy Davis's (D, SD-10) recent filibuster of his proposed omnibus anti-abortion bill, SB 5.
Senator Davis became a mother about the same time as my mother did. Davis was 19 when she had her first child in 1982 followed by her youngest in 1988. My mother turned 21 while she was expecting me in 1983 and then had my sister in 1987.
Both women made the choice to become mothers at an early age and I am certain that it was a difficult decision they made. But the important thing was that it was their choice, AND THEIR CHOICE ALONE!
I am certain that at the time Senator Davis (who was known as Wendy Russell at the time) did not know that she was going to become a sitting member of the Texas Senate. Or a member of the Fort Worth City Council. Or graduate from Harvard Law School with a J.D. Or graduate from Texas Christian University (TCU) first in her class with a Bachelors in English.
I suspect that Wendy was thinking about how she could make her life better for herself and most importantly, the child she CHOOSE to have. She started by working and then taking advantage of a two-year paralegal program at Tarrant County College (which in those days it was called Tarrant County Junior College). From there it was TCU, then Harvard, then Fort Worth City Council, her upset win over Kim Brimer in 2008, her close yet strong re-election win in 2012, and now her filibuster against SB 5 in 2013.
Senator Davis has lead a very interesting life that has given her a unique perspective on the world and it has shown in her legislation as she is working tirelessly to restore the education cuts from the 82nd session, solving the terrible problem with the back log of rape kits that deny victims justice, work with Senator Van de Putte on helping our veterans, an advocate for equal pay for women in the work place, and was a co-sponsor for workplace protections for the LGBT community (SB 237).
Governor, I think it is YOU that could learn a lesson from Senator Davis's background.
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