It seems a cruel irony to read the headline in the Mitchell Republic, Abortion illegal in South Dakota due to Supreme Court ruling; special session of Legislature planned, after watching talks collapse for a special session to resolve unfinished budget and tax relief issues in Minnesota.
Heckova view from here in the Sisseton hills. But for all its faults, reproductive rights are still legal in Minnesota. We recommend a Star Tribune feature, Current and former Minnesotans remember life before Roe v. Wade.
But back to South Dakota. Jeremy Fugleberg reports at the Republic:
Abortions are now a crime in South Dakota, after a Supreme Court ruling Friday , June 24, triggered a state ban. A special session of the state Legislature will be called later this year to enact further abortion laws.
The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson reversed the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision , opening the door for states to decide abortion access for themselves. The ruling was widely expected in the wake of a draft of the decision leaked in May.
South Dakota is one of 13 states with a "trigger" law that would ban abortion in the state if the Supreme Court ever overturned Roe. North Dakota's trigger law bans abortion in the state within 30 days of Roe being overturned.
After the ruling, Gov. Kristi Noem and South Dakota legislative leaders on Friday said they plan to now plan to call a special session of the Legislature to consider additional laws regarding abortion.
“Every abortion always had two victims: the unborn child and the mother. Today’s decision will save unborn lives in South Dakota, but there is more work to do,” said Noem in a statement. “We must do what we can to help mothers in crisis know that there are options and resources available for them. Together, we will ensure that abortion is not only illegal in South Dakota — it is unthinkable.”
Current state law now decrees that providing an abortion is a felony — punishable by up to two years in prison and a $4,000 fine — except when needed to save the life of a pregnant woman.
Jamie Smith, the House minority leader and Democratic gubernatorial candidate, responded to the news on Twitter guessing what legislation Noem might propose.
"As I’ve said from the beginning: we have to respect the will of SD voters. The Roe decision will likely prompt an attempt by Kristi Noem to completely ban abortion in SD," he said. "We’ve voted on this issue twice and decided both times that some access should remain. Reason must prevail."
Abortions haven't been available in the state since mid-June, when Planned Parenthood told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader newspaper its clinic in Sioux Falls was had paused the provision of abortions in anticipation of the Supreme Court decision. The clinic was the only place in the state to get an abortion. . . .
Fugleberg also mentions this Noem project, which we first learned about from Arielle Zionts, rural health reporter for Kaiser Health News:
Press release: The South Dakota govt. has launched a website that “helps mothers and their babies before birth and after by providing resources for pregnancy, new parents, financial assistance, and adoption.”https://t.co/2jhvjFo9gN
— Arielle Zionts (@Ajzionts) June 24, 2022
This must have been in the works for a while. pic.twitter.com/irtDjaxtc4
There's more about that in the Argus Leader article by Symmone Gauer, Gov. Noem launches 'Life' website with pregnancy, new parent resources:
On the same day the Supreme Court of the United States ruled to turn back abortion rights to be determined by states, Gov. Kristi Noem has launched a new website to help women and families by providing resources for pregnancy, new parents, financial assistance and adoption.
The website, Life.SD.gov., comes after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday, which triggered South Dakota's anti-abortion law into effect and making abortion essentially illegal in the state.
“In South Dakota, we value life. But being pro-life doesn’t just mean caring about the unborn. It also means getting moms the help they need to be successful,” Noem stated in a press release.
The website lists help centers, government programs and links to frequently asked questions and childcare tips.
“We’re launching Life.SD.gov to give women the resources they need to navigate pregnancy, birth, parenting and adoption, if they choose," Noem said.
One other option's been scrutinized in South Dakota. On Thursday, Zionts examined the suggestion--coming largely from non-indigenous people without connections to native communities--that sovereign indigenous reservations might offer abortion services. She tweeted:
My story on this question/request from non-Native people based on interviews with three Indigenous abortion advocates: https://t.co/K8Y6gIWvBg https://t.co/3kLX6tb2wz
— Arielle Zionts (@Ajzionts) June 24, 2022
Given that the Indian Health Service doesn't ordinarily serve tribal citizen's family members who are non-Indian (COVID vaccines were a common-sense exception), this notion seemed far-fetched from our perspective on the Lake Traverse Reservation. The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate's Tribal Council rightly is shaping its own development and infrastructure plans based on its citizens' needs, our partner tells me after attending the council's meeting these last two days.
Back to that special session in Pierre. At the Argus Leader, Joe Sneve and Jonathan Ellis report in Gov. Kristi Noem to call lawmakers back to Pierre as South Dakota's abortion ban triggered:
. . .But just as the abortion debate has gripped the nation for decades, the high court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision, which ruled that the Court in 1973 crafted policy in the Roe decision, not everyone is gleeful about Friday's ruling. That includes Democratic lawmakers who will attempt to minimize the erosion of abortion access for South Dakotans.Rep. Erin Healy, a Democratic whip in the South Dakota House of Representatives, told the Argus Leader that "women and families in difficult positions are going to be stripped of the choices and the body autonomy they once had," and that more monumental changes to legal standards could be in the pipeline.
"Ultimately, this decision means women are going to die. This decision is not pro life," she said. "Make no mistake, the Supreme Court will be stripping LGBTQ rights and birth control access next."
South Dakota House Minority Leader Jamie Smith, the Sioux Falls Democrat also challenging Noem in her re-election bid, said the fall of Roe has made it "a tough day" for millions of people.
And in South Dakota, the new prohibition defies "the will of the people," he said, noting voters in the Mount Rushmore State have on multiple occasions used the ballot box to preserve abortion access.
Unless it's the intention of Noem and GOP lawmakers to repeal the trigger law, a special session is not necessary either, Smith said.
"It would be irresponsible for us to have a special session. It’s a waste of money," said the 51-year-old former educator. "To me, it’s to score political points at this point, and that’s not what we should be about." . . .
It's been another hot humid day, and we're headed out for supper. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Photo: The Planned Parenthood health clinic in Sioux Falls, which quit taking appointment for abortion earlier this month in anticipation of the Supreme Court decision. It no longer offers this service. Credit: Jeremy Fugleberg, Forum News Services.
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