A Texas state senator tried Tuesday to block an abortion bill by attempting a 13-hour filibuster , but appeared to fall short after 10 hours when the chairman ruled she had gone off topic . But a member of the Senate then moved that the ruling be appealed , and the status of the ruling was in doubt . Fort Worth Democrat Wendy Davis , 50 , took to the floor of the chamber late Tuesday morning to criticize the bill , which would be among the nation 's most restrictive . Rules called for her to stand , unaided , until midnight ( 1 a.m. Wednesday ET ) , for the filibuster to succeed . At the outset , Davis said she was speaking for families whose `` personal relationships with their doctor and their creator '' would be violated by the bill . `` These voices have been silenced by a governor who made blind partisanship and personal political ambition the official business of our great state , '' she said . `` And sadly , he 's being abetted by legislative leaders who either share this blind partisanship or simply do not have the strength to oppose it . '' Davis had a snack and a small amount of water before beginning , her office said . She was not allowed to lean or take a bathroom break . At about 10 p.m. ( 11 p.m . ET ) , Davis talked about the abortion pill , RU-486 , and the chairman ruled that her comments were off topic . Earlier in the evening , a fellow senator helped Davis put on a back brace , which angered some lawmakers who said it violated filibuster rules . That view was upheld in a vote , and she was given a warning . Before that , she had been ruled off topic . Davis was allowed three warnings before the Senate was to be allowed to vote on whether she must stop her filibuster . The sneaker-wearing senator spent much of the time reading testimony and messages from women decrying the bill and recounting stories of the struggles they , their friends or relatives faced in the days before birth control and abortion were legalized . `` Women realize that these bills will not protect their heath , '' she said . `` They will only reduce their access to abortion providers and limit their ability to make their own family-planning decisions . '' The bill would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and tighten standards on abortion clinics and the doctors who work at them . Critics say it would shut most of the abortion clinics in Texas . It has passed the state House of Representatives , and Gov . Rick Perry , a former Republican presidential candidate , has said he 'll sign it . `` In Texas , we value all life , and we 've worked to cultivate a culture that supports the birth of every child , '' Perry said . `` We have an obligation to protect unborn children , and to hold those who peddle these abortions to standards that would minimize the death , disease and pain they cause . '' While Republicans hold a majority in the Senate , they do n't appear to have the votes to thwart a filibuster . Abortion rights advocates were rallying behind Davis online , pushing the hashtag # standwithwendy on Twitter . `` Like never before , people in Texas are standing up to demand that politicians respect women 's ability to make our own personal medical decisions , and the whole country is watching , '' Cecile Richards , president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund , said in a statement on the filibuster . Richards -- the daughter of former Texas Gov . Ann Richards -- said , `` This bill is dangerous and deeply unpopular , and it will hurt a lot of women . We wo n't go back , we wo n't back down , and we wo n't forget when these politicians are on the ballot . '' `` Partisanship and ambition are not unusual in a state capitol , but here , in Texas , right now , it has risen to a level of profound irresponsibility and the raw abuse of power , '' she said in a statement on her website . Davis was elected to the Texas Senate in 2008 , defeating a longtime Republican incumbent . Last year , she staged a filibuster to force a special session in an attempt to stop $ 5 billion in cuts to Texas public schools , according to her website . Davis , who became a single mother at age 19 , went on to graduate with honors from Harvard Law School , it says .
Sen. Wendy Davis seems to have digressed . Davis would have had to hold the floor until midnight . ` ` Blind partisanship and personal political preferences '' drive the bill , she says . Critics say the law would shut most of the state 's abortion clinics .