Roe v. Wade Turns 40

The Roe v. Wade case, which was born in a Dallas federal court, turned 40 years old on Tuesday.

Decades after the ruling made abortion legal, both sides of the issue are fighting for their causes with the same zeal.

Gov. Rick Perry, a staunch anti-abortion advocate, released a statement to mark the anniversary.

"Roe v. Wade paved the way for the loss of more than 54 million innocent lives, with more than a million added to that total with each passing year. This catastrophic loss of life is a grim testament to judicial activism, and a tragic stain on our national conscience," Perry said in the statement. "In Texas, we've worked hard to strengthen our abortion laws to the greatest extent possible under Roe v. Wade. We will continue working to empower families and protect our children's future, until the day abortion is nothing more than a tragic footnote in our nation's history."

Planned Parenthood, a women's health provider that also advocates for abortion rights, had its own view of the anniversary.

"For 40 years, access to safe and legal abortion has been the law of the land. A majority of Americans oppose efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade, and in November they voted to protect a woman’s ability to make her own personal medical decision without interference from politicians," said Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood president. "Legislators who continue to interfere with a woman's access to safe and legal abortion do so against the will of their constituents."

In Texas, lawmakers have filed at least two bills dealing with abortion but, if passed, neither would make abortion in the state illegal.

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