BROOKINGS The proponents of keeping South Dakotas strong abortion ban in place scored a resounding victory in Tuesdays voting on Amendment G.
The Life Defense Fund message seen on many yard signs around Brookings was a simple one: Vote No on G. Its too extreme. And they did statewide by a nearly 2-1 margin: 109,862 No (63 percent) and 64,079 Yes (37 percent). But it was a different spread in Brookings, with slightly more No 8,039 (53 percent) than Yes 6,927 (46 percent) votes, with all 10 vote centers reporting.
Of the counties that had reported, only Minnehaha showed Yes in the lead: 50 percent to 49 percent, with less than 200 votes separating the two.
Officially the ballot read: Constitutional Amendment G: An initiated amendment establishing a right to abortion in the State Constitution.
While Life Defense Fund strongly promoted a No vote on the proposed amendment, a Yes vote was championed by Dakotans for Health.
The amendment to the South Dakota Constitution would have allowed a pregnant woman to use her own judgment regarding a decision to terminate her pregnancy during its first 12 weeks (first trimester).
From the 13th through the 26th week (second trimester), the State could regulate a womans abortion decision only in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman.
After the 26th week, the State may regulate or prohibit abortion, except when abortion is necessary, in the medical judgment of the womans physician, to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman. The LDFs concern was that the physician in such an instance would often be a Planned Parenthood abortionist.
As to what extreme implies, in a recent Associated Press report LDF spokesperson Caroline Woods said, South Dakotans dont want extreme Chicago, San Francisco, and New York views tainting our great state.
A No stance on Amendment G was taken by Gov. Kristi Noem, Sen. John Thune, Sen. Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson.
Contact John Kubal at [email protected].
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