Women in Texas - July 9, 2013

Thank you all so incredibly from the bottom of my heart. (Inaudible) for all of us tonight, I am a TCU Horned Frog, and I bleed purple, and I never thought it would be so fond of the color orange. Of course, I'm awfully fond of being here in Harris County, so many people here in Harris County have helped me to win my elections in Tarrant County, and I thank each and every one of you for doing that for me. I am incredibly proud to stand here with Texans who care so deeply about the future of this state. And of course the reason that we're here is very simple, we know that partisan leadership and charge, does not respect the right of all Texans, to make critical and very personal decisions about their own lives and their own bodies.

We are here because we are tired of politician's, tying their political aspirations to consequences that hurt real people in our communities. We are here because they've refused to listen. Because we've had thousands of people show up at the Texas capitol, who asked to be heard and we're told no. We are here, because we believe it's important to take this message, this conversation, this listening, all over the state of Texas.

Now, there's been a lot of talk about that filibuster. And it was my privilege to have the ability to talk for about 11 hours. But, it was especially my privilege, to watch my senate Democrat colleagues masterfully take down the floor for the next hour and forty-five minutes. It was an even greater privilege to see the people of Texas who had sat so quietly and so respectfully of the senate rules of decorum, watch the rules run (inaudible), by the people who were in control of the senate floor that day. And finally, they could take it no more, and the rose up, and the people's filibuster killed that very bad bill.

I think that voice, that very profound voice, that could no longer stand to be silent, against this particular injustice, is a voice in Texas that no longer wants to be silent to other injustices. The people of Texas are tired of watching their leaders kick 150,000 women out of the only healthcare that they had. The people of Texas are tired of watching leaders who show incredible disregard for school children and the needs of those school children across the state of Texas, cutting billions of dollars from schools.

The people of Texas are tired of our state ranking in the top-tier in unplanned pregnancies that cost us 1.3 billion dollars per year. They are tired of the fact that our state has the highest rate of uninsured. They're tired of the fact that Texas ranks at the top of the number of children who are uninsured in this state. They're tired of watching Texas children live in poverty. That number has quadrupled since 2007 in the state of Texas, and that is enough.

Sadly, as we talk about in a couple of the folks who have spoken already, though we worked in a bipartisan way, to send a bill to the governor's desk, that would assure equal pay for equal work, for women that support families on their own, or are partnering with a spouse to support a family, and who deserve equal pay for the job that they are doing.

Now the great thing about Texas, is in spite of all of that, we know that our Texas, our state is a place where dreams can come true. From my understanding, you're a good witness to that. My dreams as a young girl growing up in poverty in Texas, boy did they come true. We all want to make sure that that darling little girl who we saw on her father's shoulders just a moment ago, has the same opportunity for her dreams to come true in Texas that I did.

We know that the way to get there is not on the path we're on. I am so proud to be joining with all of you tonight, not just standing up for Texas women, but standing for Texas future. Together, we are going to the primaries. Thank you.

Speech from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eds0ZTZJHmE.