Supporters, Opponents Of Defeated South Dakota Abortion Ban Mull Next Steps

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 11 Nov 2008 - 3:00 PST

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Supporters of the defeated South Dakota ballot measure that would have banned nearly all abortions in the state are planning their next steps for efforts to restrict abortion rights, the Rapid City Journal reports. Initiated Measure 11 -- which would have banned abortion except in limited cases of rape or incest or to preserve the health of the woman -- was defeated by 55% to 45% on Tuesday. A similar measure that included no exceptions was defeated by 56% to 44% in 2006. Leslee Unruh of the VoteYesForLife.com campaign -- which supported the measure -- said the group will keep its offices open and begin examining strategies to promote antiabortion efforts in the state Legislature or on the 2010 ballot. Unruh added that getting "some teeth in the laws we've passed" on parental consent and informed consent could be a focus for the VoteYes campaign. The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families -- which led opposition to the measure -- also plans a presence in the state Legislature, spokesperson Nathan Peterson said. The campaign will provide lawmakers with a detailed report breaking down the election results by county and legislative districts, he said.

According to the Journal, the VoteYes campaign gained close to 19,000 more votes than in 2006 but failed to reach its goal of 200,000 total votes. The Campaign for Healthy Families gained more than 20,000 more votes than in 2006. According to Unruh, increased Democratic voter registration during the competitive Democratic presidential primary contributed to the measure's defeat. Peterson said new voters helped opponents of the measure but were not the deciding factor in the outcome. "What it kind of said to us is that the voters of South Dakota have given us a mandate, that they don't want government intrusion into medical decisions and that as a general rule they think banning abortions is a bad public policy," Peterson said (Woster, Rapid City Journal, 11/7).

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