State Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, issued a statement Thursday praising Gov. Kay Ivey for signing House Bill 314 into law, giving Alabama the strongest pro-life law in the nation.

“I appreciate Gov. Ivey standing strong for life by signing House Bill 314 into law.

“I am a pro-life voice for my district. I believe that abortion is murder, and I voted according to my convictions on HB314. People have asked me why I did not support adding the amendment regarding rape and incest to this bill. If I would have voted to add these exceptions to the bill, there would arise a fallacy in our own argument to defend the pro-life stance, because an unborn baby is a person who deserves protection, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

“There is no doubt that the ACLU and other liberal groups will contest this bill in court, but that’s the point — HB314 is designed to protect life and to challenge Roe v. Wade. Advances in ultrasound technology since 1973, when Roe was decided, show what we know in our hearts: the baby in the womb is a person, and as such, deserves our love and protection.”

Gudger represents State Senate District 4, which is comprised of all or parts of Cullman, Lawrence, Marion, and Winston counties.