Gov. Rick Perry designated as emergency legislation today at the annual . The rally marks the 38th anniversary of what Perry calls the 鈥渢ragic鈥� Roe v. Wade court decision, which gave women the legal right to abortion.
The proposed legislation would require pregnant women seeking abortions to have a sonogram before being able to follow through with their abortion decision. Perry鈥檚 mid-rally announcement was met with thunderous applause by the thousands of pro-life supporters in attendance.
鈥淲e see real value in standing with all of these other pro-life organizations from across the state to send a message to the community that we value human life, from its early stages to its natural end,鈥� said executive director, Elizabeth McClung.
Joe Pojman, the Executive Director of the which helped organize the rally, said last year鈥檚 rally had more than three thousand attendees, and this year the anticipated turnout was much larger. According to Pojman, more than 20 organizations and churches from across the state arrived on charter buses to show their support for 鈥渃ompassionate alternatives to abortion鈥� at today鈥檚 rally.
Perry concluded his speech by touting Texas鈥� history of passing bills aimed at avoiding abortion, including the , and the funding contributed to educating women about their options regarding pregnancy. While the majority of the crowd applauded Perry, not all attendees supported the proposed sonogram legislation.
Peace Washington Costanzo, a rally attendee dressed as Lady Liberty鈥攃omplete with aluminum foil crown and torch鈥攚as adamant about the right of women to make their own decisions about their bodies.
鈥淭his is just like that ,鈥� she said. "It鈥檚 quite an infringement upon us as females. I think we ought to have the right to say yes or no.鈥�
A similar bill passed through the Texas senate in 2009, but ultimately died in the House.
