Tate Reeves Supported A Near-Total Abortion Ban Before the Dobbs Decision. “In Mississippi, we have a trigger law in place. And we will, we will not only have a 15-week ban, which is what this case is about but if Roe is overturned, that trigger law will come into effect and we will ban abortions in Mississippi with the exceptions of rape and the life of the mother.” [CBS News: Red & Blue, 5/4/22]
Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves “Pushed The Heartbeat Bill Through” The State Legislature. “I pushed the Heartbeat Bill through this year because I am pro-life. I believe that, that we need to protect life at all opportunities.” [WHLT (CBS), 2/7/19]
As Lieutenant Governor, Tate Reeves Pushed For SCOTUS To Review And Overturn Roe V. Wade. “And we believe that life begins at conception but we also believe that the ban at six weeks is something that the United States Supreme Court can uphold. And that we can actually get to the Supreme Court on a bill such as this. And we’re hopeful that Roe v. Wade will ultimately be reviewed by the Supreme Court and ultimately overturned.” [Local 24, 3/19/19]
Tate Reeves Believed That Roe v. Wade, Dobbs v. Jackson, & Casey v. Planned Parenthood Were Wrongly Decided. “Clearly, I think that this law can be enacted within a changing confinement of Roe v. Wade, but I also believe that Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided. I believe in a simple reading of the United States Constitution that when Roe was decided in 1973, there is no fundamental right in our United States Constitution to an abortion. And furthermore, Chuck, I believe very strongly that if you read the Constitution, there is nowhere in the Constitution that prohibits individual states, states like Mississippi, to limit access to abortions. And so I think Roe was wrongly decided. I also believe that some 20 years later, in 1992, Casey was incorrectly decided. And if you look at the Casey ruling, what you find, in my opinion, is a ruling that was not based upon fundamentals of the Constitution, but a ruling that was determined based upon what the perceived political perception was at that time.” [NBC: Meet the Press, 11/29/21]
Tate Reeves Claimed That Roe Was “Wrongly Decided In 1972.” “Let's talk about what happens in America. And if Roe is overturned, that would return the decision-making process with respect to abortion rights, to the elected representatives in all 50 states. And that each of those elected representatives can make the decisions that they view best for their constituents. That's the way it was in America for some 175 years before Roe was, in our opinion, wrongly decided in 1972. And so certainly that's what will occur in Mississippi. We have a trigger law in place and we will, we will not only have a 15-week ban, which is what this case is about but if Roe is overturned, that trigger law will come into effect and we will ban abortions in Mississippi with the exceptions of rape and the life of the mother.” [CBS: Red & Blue, 5/4/22]
Reeves Thought That Exceptions To Abortion Like Incest & Fatal Diagnoses For Fetuses Were Too “Rare” To Address Before Roe v. Wade Fell. TAPPER: “Ok, but that is going to be the law of Mississippi. Let me ask you, what about a fetus that has serious or fatal abnormalities that will not allow that fetus to live outside the womb? Is the state of Mississippi going to force those girls and women who have this tragedy inside them to carry the child to term? Are you going to force them to do that?” REEVES: “Well, Jake, I'll tell you, I think that these questions illustrate exactly what we've been talking about, and that is you're dealing in, in examples that are rare and are a very small percentage of the overall abortions.” [CNN: State of the Union, 5/8/22]
Tate Reeves: “I Believe That Clearly, Life Begins At Conception.” “I believe that clearly, life begins at conception. And I am trying very hard to, to make sure that everyone in America knows that the overturning of Roe certainly puts the decision-making on abortion policy back in the elected representatives in each of the 50 states. That, by the way, is where the decision-making was in America for the first 200 years of our country until 1972 when, in my opinion, Roe was wrongly decided.” [MSNBC: Meet the Press, 5/9/22]
Tate Reeves Was “Hopeful” That Mississippi Would Win Its Case Against Jackson Women’s Health Organization Over The State’s Trigger Ban. “Not surprising, the Jackson Women's Health Organization, the same group that had sued in the Dobbs case, filed a lawsuit yesterday asking our state Supreme Court to overturn that decision. It'll go through the process, but we're hopeful that that litigation will be done quickly. We are hopeful that the Mississippi Supreme Court will rule in our favor and allow our trigger law to go into effect.” [FNC: Your World With Neil Cavuto, 6/28/22]
Tate Reeves: “I Believe To Be The Biggest Win In The Conservative Movement In My Lifetime And That Is The Overturning Of Roe V. Wade.” “Well, we’re certainly going to continue to try to make Mississippi a safe place for the unborn and build on what I believe to be the biggest win in the conservative movement in my lifetime and that is the overturning of Roe v. Wade.” [WLOX, 1/9/23]
Tate Reeves Signed A Bill Into Law To Expand Tax Credits For Crisis Pregnancy Center Donors. REPORTER: “One of the three bills signed into law by the Governor today expands the tax credits available to those of you who choose to donate to crisis pregnancy centers. Those were first made available last year, but the legislature approved upping the amount from 3.5 to 10 million dollars. Now, there are more than 30 centers around the state offering support to women who have unplanned pregnancies.” REEVES: “It’s a remarkable increase that will encourage private donations for the benefit of those who are helping women with limited resources navigate motherhood.” [WLBT (NBC), 4/19/23]
Reeves: “Every Life Has Value And Is Worth Defending. That’s Why We Fight To Defend The Unborn.” According to Reeves’ Twitter, “Every life has value and is worth defending. That’s why we fight to defend the unborn. God bless all those walking in the March for Life today. You’re on the right side of history.” [Twitter, @tatereeves, 1/20/23]
Reeves Said That It Was “A Great Day In Mississippi” After Bryant Signed A Ban On Abortions After 15 Weeks That Included No Exceptions On Rape Or Incest. According to CNN, “With a swipe of a pen Monday, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed into law a bill that prevents women from getting abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. His state, effective immediately, now holds the distinction of having the earliest abortion ban in the nation. ‘I was proud to sign House Bill 1510 this afternoon. I am committed to making Mississippi the safest place in America for an unborn child, and this bill will help us achieve that goal,’ Bryant tweeted Monday. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves echoed that sentiment Monday, tweeting ‘It’s a great day in Mississippi’ along with a picture of the signing. Also known as the Gestational Age Act, Mississippi’s new law makes exceptions only for medical emergencies or cases in which there’s a ‘severe fetal abnormality.’ There are no exceptions for incidents of rape or incest.” [CNN, 3/19/18]
Reeves Would Not Rule Out A Ban On Contraceptives, Instead He Said That He Was Focused On The “Next Phase Of The Pro-Life Movement” Where He Would Help Mothers With Unwanted Pregnancies. According to the Washington Post, “Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) on Sunday refused to rule out the possibility that his state would ban certain forms of contraception, sidestepping questions about what would happen next if Roe v. Wade is overturned. [...] When asked if Mississippi might next target the use of contraceptives such as the Plan B pill or intrauterine devices, Reeves demurred, saying that was not what the state was focused on ‘at this time.’ ‘My view is that the next phase of the pro-life movement is focusing on helping those moms that maybe have an unexpected and unwanted pregnancy,’ Reeves said. ‘And while I’m sure there will be conversations around America regarding [contraceptives], it’s not something that we have spent a lot of time focused on.’ [The Washington Post, 5/8/22]
Reeves Said That He Was “Incredibly Proud” Of Overturning Roe V. Wade And Claimed That It Had Built A Culture Of Life In The U.S. And Mississippi. According to Reeves’ Twitter, “Tomorrow will mark one year since Mississippi led the nation to the greatest conservative victory in a generation – the overturning of Roe v. Wade. While I’m incredibly proud of this victory for life, winning a court case was never our true objective. Rather, it was building a culture of life throughout America and Mississippi. […] I’ve long said that continuing to build a culture of life and implement the New Pro-life Agenda will not be easy and it will not be free. But it’s the right thing to do for moms and babies, and Mississippi is committed to doing it. That’s why I’m so proud of the work our state has accomplished over the last year to accomplish that mission.” [Twitter, @tatereeves, 6/23/23]
Reeves Was “Proud” Of Mississippi’s Role In Roe V. Wade. According to Reeves’ Twitter, “Almost a year ago, Mississippi led the way to the greatest conservative win in a generation – the overturning of Roe v. Wade. While I’m extremely proud of the role that Mississippi played in this monumental victory, winning a court case was never our true objective. Rather, it was building a culture of life throughout our state and throughout our nation.” [Twitter, @tatereeves, 4/19/23]
Reeves: “Mississippi Was Proud To Lead The Charge In Overturning Roe And We Look Forward To Continue Strengthening Support For Moms And Babies.” According to Reeves’ Twitter, “Wishing everyone traveling to this year’s March for Life all the best! Every day is a good day to celebrate and defend the lives of the unborn. Mississippi was proud to lead the charge in overturning Roe and we look forward to continue strengthening support for moms and babies!” [Twitter, @tatereeves, 1/19/23]
Reeves Said That Pro-Life Was Not Just “Anti-Abortion,” But “Enacting Policies To Do That.” According to Politico, ‘We have to prove that being pro-life is not simply about being anti-abortion, and, in our state, we are enacting policies to do exactly that,’ Reeves told host Mike Emanuel, without specifying what policies he meant or how they would be implemented.” [Politico, 7/3/22]
2019: Reeves Was Endorsed By Mississippi Right To Life PAC. According to Mississippi Right To Life, “We would like to congratulate the following candidates on their endorsement: Tate Reeves” [Facebook, Mississippi Right To Life, 7/4/19]
2023: Reeves Was Endorsed By Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s Candidate Fund. According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, “Today Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s Candidate Fund announced its endorsement of Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves for re-election. ‘When we think of bold pro-life leadership in the Dobbs era, we think of Tate Reeves. Governor Reeves works tirelessly to protect babies and serve mothers in Mississippi, setting an outstanding example for the entire nation,’ said Hon. Marilyn Musgrave, SBA Pro-Life America’s vice president of government affairs. ‘Reeves doesn’t just talk about having pro-life values, he takes action. He has proven his courage during the most pivotal moment for life in our nation in half a century, when the people’s right to protect the unborn was restored. In just these few short years he has been a champion for the most vulnerable children, including those with Down syndrome, and for empowering families. Recently he signed eight new pro-life safety net measures into law to support foster care, improve the adoption process, and provide aid to moms and babies. We proudly stand with Governor Reeves and urge the people of Mississippi to re-elect him to see the cause of life advance even further in his next four years.’ [Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, 6/23/23]