AUSTIN, Tex. — All eyes are on Texas today, but the drama at the end of the first special session of the 83rd state legislature is not likely to repeat itself — at least not yet. While Gov. Rick Perry has brought back the 150 members of the House and the 31 members of the Senate to deal with unfinished business on abortion, transportation and criminal justice, they’ll almost surely gavel in, refer bills to committee and gavel out. Except for a few serial grandstanders, most lawmakers won’t be heard from in any meaningful way inside the Capitol.

Outside is another story. Supporters of reproductive rights were planning to rally on the south steps of what Austin denizens commonly call the pink building, and a few thousand were expected to attend. The political celebrity of the moment, State Senator Wendy Davis, a Fort Worth Democrat, is addressing the crowd, along with Cecile Richards, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the daughter of Ann Richards, the last woman in elective office to electrify Democrats here and elsewhere.

Democratic legislators, who have something to crow about for the first time in years, will be right there alongside them. Anti-abortion activists, after failing to match their opponents in number last week, are staging their own rally and promise to be better prepared for the fight this time, and Republican legislators will surely join them.

In reality, it won’t, or shouldn’t, be much of a fight. The contentious abortion legislation in question, Senate Bill 5, initially failed to pass because the 30-day special session was quickly drawing to a close and Ms. Davis, assisted by her Democratic colleagues, could run out the clock. It was her show. A second special session is Mr. Perry’s show. He knows well that with 30 days to get his desired ends accomplished, both substantive and political, the minority party isn’t apt to repeat history. The Republicans have more than enough votes to pass the very same legislation, as the Democrats grudgingly acknowledge (though they mean to do everything they can, procedurally and otherwise, to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory). David’s victory over Goliath will be short-lived.