Texas Governor Rick Perry may have been tasted and spit back out by voters in the most recent Republican presidential primary, but that overwhelming rejection hasn’t stopped him from pushing forward his policy objectives in his home state. Earlier today, the politician spoke at a press conference organized by Texas Right to Life, and during the ceremony, he wasn’t exactly shy about stating his views on abortion.
"To be clear, my goal, and the goal of many of those joining me here today, is to make abortion, at any stage, a thing of the past. While Roe v. Wade prevents us from taking that step, it does allow states to do some things to protect life if they can show there is a compelling state interest. I don’t think there is any issue that better fits the definition of 'compelling state interest' than preventing the suffering of our state’s unborn."
During the lead-up to November’s election, the Democrats ran many advertisements in select states attacking Republicans for undermining the reproductive rights of women. Numerous experts have since said many of these advertisements played large roles in ousting Republicans from office, even those who had no real interest in changing the status quo when it came to abortion. Shamefully, Perry seems to have learned nothing from those losses.
Last year, the state of Texas passed a law requiring women to have a sonogram performed prior to getting an abortion. Perry is hoping lawmakers will continue their crusade against the right to choose this year by forbidding anyone from getting an abortion in the state of Texas if the fetus is more than twenty weeks along. In addition, he’s hoping the state will begin regulating all abortion clinics like surgery centers, which will force the businesses to waste resources to widen hallways and make other costly alterations.
We’ll keep you updated on this battle as it progresses into the next legislative session.
