South Dakota Kills Abortion Ban

South Dakota Kills Abortion Ban

A bill that would have banned most abortions in South Dakota has died after the state Senate refused to approve technical corrections that the governor wanted to be made to the bill.

Pro-life Gov. Mike Rounds had said he would sign the bill if legislators made changes to ensure that the state’s current restrictions on abortion would remain in place if the new ban was declared unconstitutional. The House voted to approve the changes, but the Senate did not, thus effectively killing the bill.

The votes came after the Senate added a “health” exception that some pro-life advocates said would have rendered the bill meaningless. The critics worried that doctors could use the health exception to get around the law, which would have made it a felony to perform an abortion unless there is a grave risk to the mother’s physical health..

Originally published in The Post-Abortion Review 12(1) Jan-March 2004.