Post-Election Surveying Shows S.D. Voters Support Preventing Unintended Pregnancies Over Abortion Bans

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs;  Abortion;  Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 12 Jan 2009 - 1:00 PST

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Analysis of post-election surveys by the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families shows that South Dakota residents want a shift in state politics away from trying to implement abortion bans toward efforts to prevent unintended pregnancies, Jan Nicolay, co-chair of the organization, said this week, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports (Brandert, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 1/8). South Dakota voters in November 2008 rejected Initiated Measure 11, which would have banned abortions except in narrowly defined cases of rape or incest or to preserve the health or life of the woman. Voters defeated the measure by 55% to 45% (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 12/8/08).

South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families plans to send copies of its findings to state lawmakers. Group officials said that the report is a chance to educate newly elected lawmakers, who make up about half of the state House. Nicolay said the findings show that South Dakota residents "do not want government intruding into their personal medical decisions." She added, "We just think everyone should work together on [preventing unintended pregnancies] and not spend time with ballot issues." Casey Murschel, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota, said, "Constituents do not want their legislators spending this time in Pierre working on abortion bans."

Leslee Unruh -- founder of the Alpha Center and Abstinence Clearinghouse and leader of the campaign supporting last year's ballot initiative -- said opponents of such a ban are "afraid there is going to be a challenge in front of the Legislature." According to Unruh, 18 state legislatures are considering abortion-related legislation, including informed consent measures similar to a 2005 South Dakota law (HB 1166) that requires physicians to tell women seeking abortions that a fetus is a separate, whole, unique human being. Unruh added that she has no plans to contact lawmakers about proposing another abortion ban measure (Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 1/8).

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