U.S. politics went wild this week with Texas Senator Wendy Davis’ filibuster, and things only got louder once the Supreme Court ruled that DOMA was unconstitutional. Meanwhile, the George Zimmerman trial gets underway, with the defense and prosecution hashing out whether or not Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense.Â
Welcome to this week’s NEWSFLASH! Bringing you some of the biggest news stories this week.
Texas Anti-Abortion Bill Filibustered by Female Senator
The week got off to a dramatic start when Texas Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis of conducted an 11-hour filibuster that stalled an anti-abortion clinic bill.
SB-5 was introduced with the written intention of upgrading abortion clinics for cleaner, safer health operations. The upgrade requirement, however, would have shut down the vast majority of abortion clinics in the state as most would not have been able to afford the changes.
Davis took the floor for 11 hours, shifting from foot to foot as she could not sit or lean against her desk, which would mark the end of the filibuster short of the midnight mark. But shortly after 10PM CST, Davis was called on a third point of order where a fellow Senator contested that Davis was straying off topic.
Protestors then interrupted procedures from 11:45PM CST by shouting, stalling the vote on the bill. While debate as to when the vote was actually counted still rage on, the official time shows that the vote, which stood in favor of SB-5, was taken shortly after midnight.
But mere days after Davis and her supporters’ opposition, Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced a second session to debate SB-5, thereby re-introducing a vote on the bill. Will Davis make another stand? Who knows, but it’s clear that the Senator and her fans are willing to fight tooth and claw against SB-5.
DOMA Ruled Unconstitutional By Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has had its fair share of controversial rulings over the past two years, including the favorable ruling towards health care, and Wednesday’s takedown of DOMA only showed more signs of change to come.
While the Defense of Marriage Act had many components, its definition of marriage as an institution between a man and a woman was the most divisive section of the act, especially since the definition deprived homosexual couples and their children of some legal and economic protections.
But the Supreme Court’s ruling means that DOMA’s definition of marriage has been struck down, to the joy of same-sex couples and their supporters everywhere. Now, same-sex couples and their children are legally slated to receive the same benefits and services heterosexual couples receive, with some variation depending on the state.
The ruling also put California’s Prop 8, which sought to deny same-sex couples the right to marry, into question. Prop 8 was also ruled invalid later on in the week, meaning that same-sex couples in California retain their right to marry.
There’s more to the Supreme Court’s ruling. A thorough and detailed explanation of the debate can be found in this Washington Post breakdown.
George Zimmerman Trial Sees Key Witnesses Recall Trayvon Martin’s Murder
Amidst all the political activity, one of the nation’s most anticipated trials went underway on Tuesday, revisiting the February 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin that captivated the country.
Former Sanford, Florida neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, 29, faces a jury of six women as he is being charged for second-degree murder, for which he is claiming self-defense. Zimmerman faces life in prison if found guilty.
The trial has called on many of the key eye and sound witnesses including Martin’s friend Rachel Jeantel, who was on the phone with Martin when Zimmerman confronted the teen. Jeantel, 19, offered the most contested testimony of the week, which the defense claimed was fraught with inconsistencies.
As the trial enters its fifth day, neighborhood resident Jonathan Good has been put on the stand. Good has testified that he saw Martin “straddling” Zimmerman during the fight, and is set to report more details to the defense and prosecution today.
Martin was shot and killed in the chest last February when confronted by Zimmerman, who was patrolling the neighborhood. Details were unclear as to whether Zimmerman acted in self-defense, sparking protests and outrage around the country.