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Wednesday, Dec 12, 2012 1:51 AM UTC

Rick Perry: My goal is to make all abortion “a thing of the past”

"I don’t think there is any issue that better fits the definition of 'compelling state interest,'" Perry said

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Topics: Rick Perry, Texas, Abortion, Republicans, Anti-abortion movement,

Rick Perry: My goal is to make all abortion (Credit: AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, is pushing state lawmakers to put into place further restrictions on abortion, telling them that ”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.”

In a press conference Tuesday, organized by Texas Right to Life, Perry said that he wants to eliminate all abortion: ”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.”

Laura Bassett of HuffPo reports:

Perry has already signed several bills into law that make it more difficult for women to access abortion services, including a mandatory ultrasound law and a bill that excludes Planned Parenthood from the state’s subsidized women’s health program. On Tuesday, he urged legislators to pass a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks of gestation, which is two to four weeks earlier in a pregnancy than the fetus would be considered viable outside the womb.

“Again, the ideal world is a world without abortion,” Perry said. “Until then, however, we will continue to pass laws to ensure abortions are as rare as possible under existing law.”

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com. More Jillian Rayfield.

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