While the nation maybe waiting to see if the Supreme Court zeros out the actions of voters in 30 states by overturning the provisions in their constitutions upholding the natural definition of marriage, voters are not idle. On Saturday, voters in San Antonio elected a mayor who has condemned the City Council’s effort two years ago to make belief in natural marriage — as between one man and one woman — a disqualification for holding public office.

In the spring and summer of 2013, FRC joined local activists and our state partner, Texas Values, in drawing attention to a proposed city ordinance that would have barred Christians — or anyone else who “by word or deed” had ever expressed support for natural marriage — from serving in elected or appointed office. Although the public outcry forced officials to water down the language, the law that eventually passed still violated the beliefs of businesses owners by forcing them to recognize fluid categories of sexuality and gender identity, in contradiction to deeply held personal beliefs. Only three council members, out of eleven, voted against the measure.

On Saturday, San Antonio elected one of those three, Ivy Taylor, to become the first popularly elected African American mayor of San Antonio. Mayor Taylor campaigned on ending “politics as usual,” including the strong-arm tactics used to pass the 2013 ordinance. “People are tired of politics as usual. They want to turn the page and [elect] someone who’s a dedicated public servant.” Her principled stand to represent the voice of the people, who turned out in droves to testify against the ordinance in 2013, is widely credited with helping her secure electoral victory over the weekend, 52%-48%.

Congratulations to Mayor Taylor on her victory, and on reminding all of us that every vote matters.

Court Sounds off on Ultrasound Appeal

[Yesterday], the Supreme Court rejected an appeal from North Carolina to review a lower court ruling striking down its ultrasound law, which would have required abortionists to show an ultrasound to a pregnant woman before she has an abortion. For most any medical procedure, doctors are required to give all of the information necessary to allow the patient to weigh her options with full informed consent. Yet when it comes to the issue of abortion in North Carolina, women will be denied the right to full and informed consent about a life and death decision now that abortionists aren’t required to show women an ultrasound of their baby. While this decision affects North Carolina’s law, it does not impact the ultrasound laws currently in 23 other states.

Women deserve to have full knowledge about the development of their baby in order to make a free and informed choice about a major decision like aborting their unborn child.

What recent research shows is that almost 80% of abortion at-risk women who see an ultrasound choose to keep their baby. When asked whether ultrasound confirmation of pregnancy has a positive impact upon an abortion-minded mother who chooses to keep her baby 83.5% said “Absolutely,” 15.76% said “More than likely,” and less than 1% said, “Only a small impact.”

These women were able to make fully informed choices because they were not denied the simple facts an ultrasound conveys. Why deny women the truth and knowledge about their baby’s development? What is truly empowering to women is to give them the tools to make a fully informed choice. Ultrasound laws are such tools, and the Supreme Court should have accepted the appeal and allowed North Carolina to join the 23 other states with ultrasound laws which value a woman’s right to full and informed consent.

This is a publication of the Family Research Council. Mr. Perkins is president of FRC.