It was a Friday night in May 2019 when a six-hour House debate over a reproductive health bill ended the relative calm of Texas’ last legislative session. The measure, Senate Bill 22, proposed blocking local governments from partnering with abortion providers and their affiliates.
Houston Representative Sarah Davis, a Republican, fought to stop it. During a break in the debate, she met with Democrats to strategize against the bill backed by her own party. “This bill is about politics,” Davis said on the House floor that evening. “It is not about good policy, and it is not about improving public health.” Taxpayer dollars were already blocked from funding abortions; SB 22 would end cancer screenings, sex education programs, teen pregnancy prevention programs, and more. She implored Republicans to consider the Texans who relied on those health services and would lose access to care. “Please think about doing the right thing today, not what is most politically expedient for you.”
The bill passed, with Davis the only Republican to vote against.
