AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ Democrats succeeded in delaying a vote on a bill that would require doctors to perform a sonogram before providing an abortion.
They objected to how the State Affairs Committee heard testimony but did not reflect it in the official record.
The leader of Democrats in the House said lawmakers from both parties were uncomfortable with how some committee chairs were hearing generic testimony before taking up individual bills.
That testimony was then excluded when the bill was later presented and voted upon. Testimony on a bill is part of the law’s official history.
Rep. Jessica Farrar, a Houston Democrat, called the delay a victory for transparency. Rep. Sid Miller, the author of the sonogram legislation, said the bill would come again on Thursday, when debate will resume.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)