Campaigns Supporting, Opposing South Dakota Abortion Ban Report $4M In Contributions

VoteYesforLife.com, which supports a South Dakota law (HB 1215) banning abortions except to save a woman's life, on Wednesday said it filed a report showing it received nearly $2.2 million in cash donations to its campaign from June 28 through Oct. 28, while the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families, a coalition of opponents of the law, said it has raised about $1.8 million during the time period, the AP/Aberdeen American News reports (Lammers, AP/Aberdeen American News, 11/2). The Campaign for Healthy Families 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, 11/1). Detailed campaign finance reports were due on Tuesday to the South Dakota Office of the Secretary of State, but the reports were not posted on the office's Web site on Wednesday, according to the AP/American News. The Campaign for Healthy Families said about $160,000 of the $1.8 million it raised came from state residents and the rest came from donors outside the state (AP/Aberdeen American News, 11/2). VoteYesforLife.com said about 65% of its campaign contributions of more than $100 came from people and groups in South Dakota (Myers, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 11/2). The group also reported $39,000 worth of contributions in goods and services, while the Campaign for Healthy Families said it has received less than $50,000 in in-kind contributions, the New York Times reports (Davey, New York Times, 11/2). In addition, the Campaign for Healthy Families in two supplemental finance reports lists more than $200,000 in additional contributions, while VoteYesforLife.com in a supplemental reported more than $155,000 in further donations (AP/Aberdeen American News, 11/2).

ABCNews' "World News Tonight" on Wednesday reported on campaigns supporting and opposing the ballot initiative. The segment includes comments from Maria Bell, a Sioux Falls ob-gyn who is co-chair of the Campaign for Healthy Families; state Rep. Roger Hunt (R), the ban's sponsor; David Kranz, columnist for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader; Leslee Unruh, campaign manager for VoteYesForLife.com; and South Dakota residents (Reynolds, "World News Tonight," ABCNews, 11/1). A transcript of the segment is available online.


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