South Dakota Votes Strongly Reject Dangerous Abortion Ban

Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, released the following statement in response to the results of November 8th’s vote in South Dakota:

“The voters of South Dakota have spoken. They do not support extreme, dangerous bans on abortion that threaten the lives and health of the women in their state. The men and women of South Dakota have rejected the intrusion of ideology into the practice of medicine and the personal decisions of women, and they are absolutely right.

“While the South Dakota ban was rejected, the threat to Roe v. Wade has not lessened. Today the Supreme Court will hear arguments against a federal ban on abortions as early as 12 weeks of pregnancy. This case will be a test of the new Roberts led Supreme Court – will it eliminate established Constitutional protections for women’s health in all abortion laws?

“Just six years ago, working with nearly identical facts, the Court ruled that protecting women’s health was a constitutionally protected imperative. The only change since then has been in the make-up of the Court. If the Court reverses itself, it will signal a newfound willingness to allow government to discount women’s health needs and make personal decisions for us all.

“Just as the people of South Dakota rejected a ban on safe and legal medical procedures, we are vigorously urging the Court to abide by 30 years of settled law that restrictions on abortion may not endanger women’s health.”