South Dakota senators in the State Affairs Committee voted 8 to 1 on Wednesday to kill, a proposed ban on abortion similar to the one rejected by voters last year. The bill can still be brought out of committee by a vote of one-third of the full senate; however, such an action appears unlikely, as many supporters of last year’s ban spoke against the revised version.
The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families, which fought to defeat last year’s ban, celebrated Wednesday’s vote. Said Elaine Roberts, the campaign’s co-chair, "Continuing to put abortion ahead of other public policy issues—like education, health care and economic development—does not reflect the legislative priorities of a majority of South Dakotans."
The revised ban, titled "Women’s Health and Human Life Protection Act," included exceptions for rape, incest and health of the mother, unlike the ban defeated last year. It carried even harsher penalties for abortion providers, with a possible class-four felony sentence of up to 10 years in jail.
Media Resources: South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families 2/22/07; Rapid City Journal 2/21/07, National Abortion Federation 2/14/07; Cyber News Service 2/1/07
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