Gov. Rick Perry went after State Sen. Wendy Davis today in a speech to a national anti-abortion group in Dallas over Davis’ 11-hour filibuster this week that helped block an abortion bill from passing.
Perry said her own birth and life under difficult circumstances — Davis was born to a single mother and was herself a single mother at age 19 — should have taught her to take Perry’s side on the issue.
“She managed to eventually graduate from Harvard Law School and serve in the Texas Senate. It’s just unfortunate that she hasn’t learned from her own example, that every life must be given a chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters,” he said.
Davis responded in a statement that Perry’s remarks were “small words that reflect a dark and negative point of view.”
Perry has called the Legislature back for a second special session to try again on the abortion bill, as well as juvenile sentencing and transportation funding.
Amid the political turmoil, Perry is giving himself more time to decide whether to run for re-election again next year. He had said he would announce his plans by July 1, but he told a questioner that with the new special session on tap - a byproduct of Davis' filibuster - that’s on hold now.
“We’ve got work to do in Austin, so that is not on my radar screen at the moment,” he said. “That’s probably kicked back some.”
