Wendy Davis to lead Planned Parenthood’s political advocacy arm

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

She joins the group’s political fundraising and advocacy arm at a low level for reproductive rights in Texas. Abortion entry has been obliterated in Texas and lots of the surrounding states. Abortion funds have stopped financially supporting individuals who journey out of state to have the process, fearing prosecution. After transferring Planned Parenthood out of the Medicaid program, Texas is now trying to sue the clinics out of existence.

And whereas different states noticed electoral backlash to aggressive abortion bans, Republicans in Texas swept to easy victories throughout the board.

After two high-profile defeats on the poll field herself, Davis is returning to a modified Capitol to choose up the identical battle.

“I’ve dedicated much of my life to pushing back against extremist attacks on our most fundamental rights,” Davis stated in a press release. “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.”

Alongside Davis, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes has elevated Shellie Hayes-McMahon and Drucilla Tigner to co-executive administrators. Hayes-McMahon, the primary Black lady to lead the group, joined Planned Parenthood Texas Votes in 2021 from Annie’s List, which recruits and trains ladies to run for workplace in Texas. Tigner additionally joined in 2021, after working as chief lobbyist for gender fairness for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.

The new management staff is hoping to capitalize on the elevated curiosity in reproductive rights after the overturn of Roe v. Wade and construct the political infrastructure to block, and ultimately reverse, lots of the insurance policies Republicans have enacted in Texas, Tigner stated in an interview with The Texas Tribune.

“Our organization is building the next generation of movement leaders by investing in programs for young people across the state,” she stated. “We are also investing in programs for supporters and volunteers who want to dedicate more of their time and effort into this work, and we are building the pipeline for future success in Texas.”

This legislative session, Tigner stated, the group is specializing in elevating consciousness round payments which can be concentrating on entry to contraception and submitting proactive laws that may restore Planned Parenthood’s entry to state funding and repeal the abortion bans that went into impact final summer time.

“While we know that this legislative session is not likely to be the session that those things pass, we have to start fighting for the world that we want right now,” Tigner stated.

Davis’ historical past of difficult abortion restrictions

Davis is probably finest identified for her 13-hour filibuster to block a 2013 abortion invoice that required abortion suppliers to undertake necessities so stringent, they might have shuttered many of the clinics within the state.

The invoice ultimately handed; it was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. But that filibuster elevated Davis, and the battle over Texas’ abortion legal guidelines, into the nationwide highlight.

“I remember it so vividly, that day; the Capitol was swarmed with hundreds, thousands of people to support her and the importance of abortion access here in Texas,” Tigner stated. “Her historic filibuster spurred a generation of activists in Texas to join the movement.”

Raised by a single mom, Davis grew up poor and, by 19, was a single mom, divorced and dwelling in a trailer. She went again to college, finding out to be a paralegal, and ultimately graduated from Harvard Law School.

In 2008, she gained her race for state Senate, unseating a Republican incumbent, and launched a profitable filibuster in opposition to a faculty funding invoice two years earlier than her historic abortion filibuster.

She ran for governor in 2014, dropping to Greg Abbott by 20 factors. She subsequent based Deeds, Not Words, a nonprofit that aimed to mobilize younger ladies. And in 2019, she ran in opposition to U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, dropping by a narrower, seven-point margin.

Most just lately, Davis filed a lawsuit to problem Texas’ ban on abortion after about six weeks of being pregnant. The lawsuit was dismissed earlier this month.

“Wendy is an icon of the reproductive rights movement. She’s an icon of the progressive movement in Texas,” Tigner stated. “With her, together with Shelly and I, we have the opportunity to really build the movement that we want to see.”

Disclosure: Planned Parenthood has been a monetary supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news group that’s funded partially by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Financial supporters play no position within the Tribune’s journalism. Find an entire list of them here.