South Dakota Abortion Ban Petition Certified

South Dakota Secretary of State Chris Nelson certified last week that a petition for an abortion ban ballot initiative has enough signatures to be placed on the statewide November ballot. Anti-abortion groups filed the signatures earlier this month. Nelson’s office has not finished counting all the signatures, but he said "they have enough, a sufficient number of signatures that it will be on the ballot in November as Measure 11," reports the Star Tribune.

In 2006, South Dakota voters rejected, 56% to 44%, a similar ballot initiative that would have banned all abortions, according to the Daily Women’s Health Policy Report. This ballot initiative would ban also almost all abortions, but includes some exceptions in the case of rape or incest or to protect the life or health of the woman.
"Even though there are technically exceptions this time, the proposed law would make it nearly impossible to get an abortion," said Sarah Stoesz, president of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to the New York Times.

South Dakota is not the only state to be introducing an anti-abortion ballot initiative this election. Anti-abortion extremists are also campaigning for anti-abortion ballot measures in Colorado, Montana, Missouri, and possibly Mississippi, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Oregon.

Media Resources: New York Times 4/26/08; Star Tribune 4/25/08; Daily Women’s Health Policy Report 4/28/08; Feminist Daily Newswire

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