Group Opposing South Dakota Abortion Ban Spending More On Sioux Falls Television Ads Than Group Supporting Ban

The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families -- a coalition of opponents of a state law (HB 1215) banning abortion in the state except to save a woman's life -- as of Monday has spent more than double the amount that VoteYesforLife.com, which supports the law, has spent for advertising time on two Sioux Falls, S.D., television stations, the AP/Yankton Press and Dakotan reports (AP/Yankton Press and Dakotan, 10/25). The Campaign for Healthy Families successfully 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, 10/19). The most recent ads by the groups "has each side calling the other liars," USA Today reports (Keen, USA Today, 10/26). The Campaign for Healthy Families has given $285,227 to the KELO and KSFY television stations for ad time, while VoteYesForLife.com has spent $122,592 at the two stations. The third television station in Sioux Falls, KDLT, has not disclosed the amount of advertising bought by either group, according to the AP/Press and Dakotan. The campaign-finance reports filed at the end of June showed that VoteYesForLife.com had raised $88,095 and that the Campaign for Healthy Families had raised $146,452, according to the South Dakota secretary of state's office. Jan Nicolay, co-chair for the Campaign for Healthy Families, said the group has run three ads so far and has not decided if it will run any new ads. VoteYesForLife.com has been running two ads, and campaign manager Leslee Unruh said the campaign has received many requests from out-of-state groups wishing to run ads but added, "Only South Dakota knows what's right for South Dakota" (AP/Yankton Press and Dakotan, 10/25).

"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.