Pro-life Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves spoke with The Daily Wire for an interview, detailing his reaction to the Supreme Court’s monumental decision to overturn Roe v. Wade while explaining what comes next for the pro-life movement.
On Friday, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey in the process. Dobbs originated in Mississippi after The Magnolia State enacted a law in 2018 that banned abortion in most instances after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Reeves was lieutenant governor when the law in question went into effect, but he told The Daily Wire that this ruling is about so much more than a simple legal victory.
“It’s never been about just simply winning a court case,” Reeves said in a phone conversation. “It’s always about the next phase — which is creating that culture of life in our state and across the country.”
Reeves said that such an effort has already started in Mississippi and around the country.
“The things that we have already done, we’ve already started that process in Mississippi. We’ve invested millions and millions and millions of dollars over the last couple of years in our child protection services, and agency,” he continued.
This spring, Reeves signed legislation that geared millions of dollars toward helping children in foster care have access to higher education, while establishing a private-public partnership with The Dave Thomas Foundation to improve rates of adoption in the state.
“We are making it easier to adopt a child in our state,” he explained. “We are doing things to support — not only the unborn babies — but also those moms who are expecting and whether … they want the child or they don’t want the child — again making it easier for adoptions because we want to help every child find a forever home.”
Reeves, who is Christian, also emphasized that the government cannot continue the culture of life alone. The governor said that the faith community across the country will have to increase their commitment to unborn children and their mothers.
“But we’ve also got to continue to challenge those in the faith community and those in our churches across our state, and most of the country from town to town to step up,” Reeves said.
The governor also cautioned activists against resting on their laurels.
“Now is not the time to celebrate victory and quit because, for most of the pro-life movement, our work is just beginning,” he declared.
When asked what he would say to young women and girls who may find themselves pregnant and in a difficult situation, Reeves expressed a message of love and support.
“My message to those individuals is that there are people that love you, there are people that love that child, and that every single human, every single child is created in God’s image and God loves you,” Reeves said. “And it’s incumbent upon us as believers in the Christian world, it’s incumbent upon us to make it easier for those individuals.”
Reeves continued, pointing out that one of the ways the government can assist in that effort is by making it easier for groups like pregnancy resource centers to operate. In May, Reeves signed the Pregnancy Resource Act into law, “which provides $3.5 million in tax credits to pregnancy resources centers across the state,” according to The Center Square.
The governor explained that the purpose of the law is so that mothers who need help can have access to “pregnancy resource centers so that loving and caring people can help walk that expectant mother through the process — everything from having the ability to help them sign up for government insurance, if that is something that is of interest to them, to helping them navigate the process to — if it is their choice to have the baby and then give it up for adoption — then help get those services.”
The governor also emphasized that there are “millions” of Americans looking to help those individuals.
“Again, we’ve got to show compassion and show that we care. Because I know that I represent millions and millions of Americans that absolutely do care and do love not only that baby but also love that mother who may or may not be in an expected pregnancy,” he added.
The governor also said that Friday was a “watershed moment” for the U.S.
“There’s no doubt that this is one of the most important days in the history of the United States of America,” Reeves told The Daily Wire.
When asked specifically if he had any pride in the fact that a case from Mississippi helped to overturn Roe, Reeves beamed, “Yes, I do have pride. In fact, I’ve never been prouder to be a Mississippian than I am today.”
He credited the people of Mississippi for making the case possible in the first place.
“And the reason for that is, because the reason I was able to fight for life, and the reason I was able to get this piece of legislation through the legislature, and the reason I’ve been able to defend this case all the way up to the United States Supreme Court is because of the convictions of the people of Mississippi,” he explained.
Reeves also gave credit to God.
“We are a state that believes in life. We are a state that believes in the power of God Almighty,” he explained. “And because of that, that they gave all of our elected officials in our state the ability to fight this battle, and we absolutely believe that we’re fighting this battle because it’s God’s will to do. So, just honestly, Glory to God.”
The governor added, “It is a joyous day for literally millions and millions and millions of Americans because we are going to save millions and millions and millions of American babies in the immediate future.”
Source: Dailywire
