Wendy Davis to lead Planned Parenthood's political advocacy arm

[RandySF]

Ten years after her historic filibuster, former state Sen. Wendy Davis will be returning to the Texas Capitol in a new role: senior adviser to Planned Parenthood Texas Votes.

She joins the group’s political fundraising and advocacy arm at a low point for reproductive rights in Texas. Abortion access has been obliterated in Texas and many of the surrounding states. Abortion funds have stopped financially supporting people who travel out of state to have the procedure, fearing prosecution. After moving Planned Parenthood out of the Medicaid program, Texas is now trying to sue the clinics out of existence.

And while other states saw electoral backlash to aggressive abortion bans, Republicans in Texas swept to easy victories across the board.

After two high-profile defeats at the ballot box herself, Davis is returning to a changed Capitol to pick up the same fight.

“I’ve dedicated much of my life to pushing back against extremist attacks on our most fundamental rights,” Davis said in a statement. “I couldn’t sit on the sidelines while those same actors attempt to eradicate the crucial healthcare Planned Parenthood provides to patients across this state and this country each and every day.”



https://www.texastribune.org/2023/02/28/wendy-davis-planned-parenthood-abortion/

[CTyankee]

1. She is the right person for the job. Her stand on behalf of reproductive rights was heroic and just.

Thank you, Wendy, and good luck!

[ananda]

2. Good! She is so great!

!!!

[Lonestarblue]

3. Texas has the highest number of people without health insurance in the country.

Republicans refused to expand Medicaid, and the Medicaid they do offer has such draconian rules that many people living in poverty cannot qualify. A few years ago, Texas Republicans forced the closure of 81 women’s health clinics serving the poor, many of them in rural areas with no other healthcare options for poor women without insurance. Nothing was ever done to replace them.

Planned Parenthood clinics are staffed by actual doctors and nurses, in contrast to the Christian crisis pregnancy centers Republicans are using taxpayer dollars to support and whose staff has no medical training. PP now does few if any abortions in Texas because few women even know they’re pregnant at six weeks. Their clinics serve the healthcare needs of poor women. If the state succeeds in shutting these clinics down, poor women will suffer and the maternal death rate will likely keep climbing. Of course, we all know that Republicans don’t care how many women die from pregnancy complications or cancers not caught early enough, or strokes left untreated, along with heart issues, diabetes, and other ailments.

Republicans have thoroughly ruined this state. It has been going backwards at a faster pace ever since Abbott became governor.

[yellowdogintexas]

4. she was my State Senator when she did the filibuster

I really hated that she ran for Governor because we lost a great Senator.

She is a wonderful woman with a great story.

One of these days I hope to see her in the US House