REPUBLICANS AT FUND RAISER HERE DECRY COURT'S ABORTION DECISION

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Missouri Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Talent decried a federal appeals court ruling Friday striking down partial-birth abortion prohibition measures in Nebraska, Arkansas and Iowa.

Huckabee and Talent spoke to reporters at the Royal N'Orleans Restaurant in Cape Girardeau Friday night.

Both were in town for a fund raiser for Talent, a congressman from District 2 in St. Louis.

Talent met with supporters at a $250-a-couple cocktail reception at the restaurant. He later attended a $1,000-a-couple dinner at the Kelsin Gallery.

About 100 people turned out for the two events combined, organizers said.

A panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis ruled that late-term abortion bans in the three Midwestern states were unconstitutional. The judges ruled separately on the three cases but issued the rulings the same because the cases were similar, a court clerk said.

Talent said the abortion issue ultimately will end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. "I would be sad if that position is upheld," he said.

He said he looks forward to a day when society has room for "all the children God gives us."

Huckabee said he was "very disappointed" by the appeals court ruling.

In its ruling, the court cited concerns about the vagueness of the laws. The judges believe the laws could be read to prohibit common abortion procedures.

Huckabee said he hopes the Legislature will pass another law banning partial-birth abortions.

The governor said three people in Arkansas face capital murder charges for kicking a woman in the womb, causing the death of her unborn baby. But abortion supporters would have hailed the woman as a hero if she had had a partial-birth abortion, Huckabee said.

State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, helped lead the successful effort to override Gov. Mel Carnahan's veto of the partial-birth abortion ban in Missouri. Kinder, who co-hosted the Talent fund raiser, said he doesn't believe Friday's court ruling puts Missouri's new law in jeopardy.

Kinder said the Missouri law was drafted "much tighter" to pass constitutional muster.

Abortion wasn't the only issue Talent and Huckabee discussed.

Talent said he would push for tax cuts if elected governor. He said he hasn't put together his tax-cut plan yet, but the cuts would be broad-based.

Talent also championed his call for the state to issue bonds to finance completion of Missouri's 15-year road plan. Thirty-eight states have funded highway improvements by issuing bonds, he said. Talent said the Missouri Department of Transportation suggested issuing bonds about three years ago, but it wasn't done.

"We have had a lack of leadership in the last few years," he said.

Talent said bonds financed the building of roads in Missouri in the 1930s when the Farm Bureau campaigned to get the state "out of the mud."

"I would like to lift Missouri out of the ditch," said Talent.

Huckabee said Missouri would benefit from a tax cut as has happened in Arkansas. State revenue in Arkansas has increased since taxes were cut, Huckabee said.