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Lt. Governor Dewhurst Tweets Senate Abortion Bill Was About Ending Abortion

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Lt. Governor David Dewhurst took to Twitter on Wednesday to say that a senate abortion bill was about ending abortion in Texas.  

From the start of the regular session, Republicans in the Senate have stated that a series of abortion bills filed this session were about protecting women’s health and not about ending the practice of abortion.  But a tweet sent a day after the crucial vote in the Senate from the Twitter account of Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said what Democrats in the Senate like San Antonio Sen. Carlos Uresti have claimed all along, that the plan is an attempt to shut down clinics and all but ban abortion in Texas.

Uresti said, “I asked that question of Senator Heger, 'isn’t it true that what your bill does is will shut down every abortion clinic in the State of Texas?' and he said 'no, that’s not the case that’s not what we are trying to do.' And so the tweet flies in the face of the statements that were made on the Senate floor last night.”

Fort Worth Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis concurred.   Davis said, "When I read that, in spite of the fact that I already believed that was the case, I felt like it was a purposeful deception that was being employed. It certainly and admittedly from the Lt. Governor himself had nothing to do with improving women’s healthcare.”

The tweet from @DavidHDewhurst Twitter accountincludes a map from Planned Parenthood showing clinic locations and stating "it would essentially ban abortion statewide."  Dewhurst goes on to tweet, "We fought to pass SB5 thru the Senate last night, & this is why!" 

Amy Miller, with the the group of abortion clinics Whole Women’s Health, said this was never about women’s health for Republicans.

Miller said, “Their goal is to make abortion illegal in the State of Texas by any means necessary.  And I think they think this is funny, I think they are amused by it.  It’s like a power play and they're so disconnected from the majority of Americans, who are still pro-choice and majority of Texans who are pro-choice.”

She continued, “And like the Dewhurst tweet confirmed, we’d left with five ambulatory surgical centers in the State of Texas that could serve millions of Texas women with the healthcare that they need.”

Dewhurst followed up with another tweet that said he is both pro-life and a "strong supporter of women's health."

Miller said if the bill passed it will shut down 47 clinics and cause the state of Texas to be caught up in yet another legal battle with the federal court.  The bill still has to make through a House Committee which is scheduled to take a vote on the bill this Thursday. 

Ryan started his radio career in 2002 working for Austin’s News Radio KLBJ-AM as a show producer for the station's organic gardening shows. This slowly evolved into a role as the morning show producer and later as the group’s executive producer.