Latest Texas abortion bill dies as confusion marks end of session- The Texas legislature's special session ended in chaos and confusion early Wednesday, when a marathon filibuster failed -- but so did a Republican effort to pass a bill that would have greatly restricted abortions in the state.
The Republican-dominated Senate needed to vote 'aye' on the bill by midnight to send it to the governor to sign into law.
But at 3 a.m., Lt. Governor David Dewhurst stepped to the Senate floor to declare the bill dead and the special session over.
And thus ended a night of intense drama that both sides of the abortion debate followed breathlessly, in large part to cheer -- or jeer -- the efforts of a lone lawmaker who talked for 10 straight hours to run out the clock.
Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis tried Tuesday to block the abortion bill by attempting a 13-hour filibuster, but fell short by about three hours when the chairman ruled she had gone off topic.
The packed gallery of the session erupted in boos. And for 15 minutes -- as the clocked ticked toward 12 a.m. -- their raucous chants and shouts of "Shame, shame, shame" drowned out the proceedings.
Midnight came and went. For three hours after that, confusion ruled.
Had the legislation been voted on? Did it pass? Did it pass before midnight? No one was certain.
Senators conversed with each other, and later huddled behind closed doors.
"This is an unprecedented situation," Jeremy Warren, spokesman for Democratic state Sen. Rodney Ellis, "I have been here 18 years and have never seen anything like this. We are still officially still in session because we never adjourned."
The website of the Texas legislature showed a vote had taken place, but didn't offer details.
Finally around 3:05 a.m., Lt. Gov. Dewhurst made the announcement. The session ended. The bill is dead -- for now.
Gov. Rick Perry may ask for another session.
"The governor reserves the right to call the legislature back into special session anytime during the interim," a statement from his office said.
Still, Planned Parenthood cheered the victory.
"This fight showed once again that we are all better off when women and their doctors -- not politicians -- are the ones making medical decisions," Cecile Richards, the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said. "We made history tonight, but we know this isn't the end of the fight to protect women's access to health care in Texas."
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