AREA ABORTION SUPPORTERS RALLY AT CAPITOL

JEFFERSON CITY -- A midweek visit to the Missouri Capitol was a lesson in politics for 46 seniors at Notre Dame High School.

On Wednesday the students attended the opening day of a veto override session in the Missouri General Assembly. They arrived with small cards and a big message.

Printed on a card about the size of a business card was a message that the students carried into legislators' offices. The message said they supported House Bill 427, which bans a procedure called partial-birth abortion, and would appreciate the legislators' support also.

The students were part of a group from Southeast Missouri who had traveled to the Capitol for a prayer rally in support of the bill banning partial-birth abortions.

The Missouri House set aside Gov. Mel Carnahan's veto of the bill, and the matter will be taken up in the Senate.

About 140 people made the journey. They met up with others from around the state who also came to show their support of the bill. Buses carrying people from Advance and Campbell, Poplar Bluff and Dexter also went.

In all, more than 5,000 people, most dressed in red, gathered on the south steps of the Capitol for a prayer and rally service. It included music from area churches and prayers and speeches from pastors and legislators.

"The mood has been very upbeat and positive," Rick Cuba said over the telephone from Jefferson City.

Cuba helped organize the bus trip to Jefferson City that included people from Cape Girardeau, Benton, Leopold and Perryville.

The crowd had heard reports that their gathering was the largest grass-roots effort to meet at the Capitol, he said.

People were milling about the building during the morning and early afternoon trying to talk with legislators about how they were going to vote on the issue. Cuba said he had not seen any of the people who supported Carnahan's bill talking with legislators.

About 100 people showed up clad in black as a way of mourning the loss of women's reproductive rights. They supported Carnahan's veto of House Bill 427.

Despite their differences of opinion, "There hasn't been a cross word," Cuba said.

Wednesday's showing didn't just represent one faction of the voters in Missouri. "That's been crucial. You can stand back and see that it is not just a subgroup of the population," said Cuba.

"It's Missourians from across the state of all faiths coming together saying that this is a procedure that from a cultural standpoint is not acceptable," he said.

Because it hasn't been supported solely by one denomination or faction, legislators can't discount the issue, Cuba said.