Advocates Supporting, Opposing South Dakota Abortion Ban Say Outcome Of Initiative Will Affect Other States' Legislation

The result of a ballot initiative to uphold or reject a South Dakota law (HB 1215) banning abortions except to save a woman's life will "set the tone" for the outcome of similar measures being considered in nearly 12 states, some advocates supporting and opposing the measures say, the New York Times reports (Davey, New York Times, 11/1). The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families -- a coalition of opponents of the law -- blocked the July 1 enactment of the law by gathering enough signatures to put the issue on the November ballot (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 10/26). "I think there's some sense that 'By golly, if they can do it [in South Dakota], we're going to do it here,'" Nancy Keenan -- president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, which opposes the ban -- said. If the law is not upheld by the voters, "[t]here's fear that legislators elsewhere would see what happened there and try to play it safer," Daniel McConchie -- vice president of Americans United for Life, which supports the ban -- said. He added that potential legislation, such as mandated waiting periods or parental notification for minors seeking abortions, might be jeopardized if voters reject the ban. The latest poll -- conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research and published on Sunday in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader -- found that 52% of state voters would vote against the ban, 42% would vote to sustain the law and 6% were undecided. The poll had a margin of error of four percentage points (New York Times, 11/1).

CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" on Monday examined how the initiative might affect abortion rights in the U.S. The segment includes comments from state Rep. Roger Hunt (R), the ban's sponsor; former state Sen. Clarence Kooistra (R), who voted against the ban; Casey Murschel, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota; state Rep. Elaine Roberts (D); and Leslee Unruh, campaign manager for the antiabortion group VoteYesForLife.com (Crowley, "Anderson Cooper 360," CNN, 10/30). The complete transcript of the program is available online.

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