South Dakota Abortion Ban
The original abortion ban of 2006 was passed by the South Dakota Legislature and signed into law by Governor Mike Rounds. The ban was blatantly unconstitutional and was written as a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade (1973), a Supreme Court Decision that established a woman's right to make her own reproductive health choices.
The opposition hoped to trigger a lawsuit with the ban, but instead they sparked a grassroots movement that galvanized South Dakotans - and the nation - in support of the right of women to make personal health care decisions free from government intrusion.
Planned Parenthood stood side by side with South Dakotans to fight for reproductive justice and brought the ban to the people for a vote.
Planned Parenthood formed the Coalition for Healthy South Dakota Families and gathered 37,846 signatures supporting a referendum on the ban and delivered them to the South Dakota Secretary of State on Tuesday, May 30, 2006.
What followed was the beginning of a grassroots movement made up of South Dakotans who told politicians that they would not tolerate legislators using their state to push an extremist agenda.
In November 2006, in a referendum vote, South Dakota Citizens soundly rejected the ban that outlawed almost all abortions by a landslide margin of nearly 12 percentage points at the polls.
While South Dakota was the first state to pass such a radically anti-choice ban, other states are considering similar legislation. And unfortunately, the fight is not over in South Dakota. In fact, Planned Parenthood worked to defeat another attempt at an abortion ban in 2007 and expect to see yet another ban in the 2008 legislative session.
Planned Parenthood is dedicated to fighting to ensure that all South Dakota citizens have full control over their reproductive health and rights.
Sign up to stay informed on potential South Dakota Abortion Bans as well as other reproductive rights issues in South Dakota.
The opposition hoped to trigger a lawsuit with the ban, but instead they sparked a grassroots movement that galvanized South Dakotans - and the nation - in support of the right of women to make personal health care decisions free from government intrusion.
Planned Parenthood stood side by side with South Dakotans to fight for reproductive justice and brought the ban to the people for a vote.
Planned Parenthood formed the Coalition for Healthy South Dakota Families and gathered 37,846 signatures supporting a referendum on the ban and delivered them to the South Dakota Secretary of State on Tuesday, May 30, 2006.
What followed was the beginning of a grassroots movement made up of South Dakotans who told politicians that they would not tolerate legislators using their state to push an extremist agenda.
In November 2006, in a referendum vote, South Dakota Citizens soundly rejected the ban that outlawed almost all abortions by a landslide margin of nearly 12 percentage points at the polls.
While South Dakota was the first state to pass such a radically anti-choice ban, other states are considering similar legislation. And unfortunately, the fight is not over in South Dakota. In fact, Planned Parenthood worked to defeat another attempt at an abortion ban in 2007 and expect to see yet another ban in the 2008 legislative session.
Planned Parenthood is dedicated to fighting to ensure that all South Dakota citizens have full control over their reproductive health and rights.
Sign up to stay informed on potential South Dakota Abortion Bans as well as other reproductive rights issues in South Dakota.
