Conservative SD voters reject abortion ban; where does Right to Life go now?

by Actual News Geezer | November 8, 2006 at 08:04 am

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South Dakota pro-life campaigners got their measure to ban virtually all abortions on the ballot, but voters there were having none of it. And generally, South Dakota is fairly conservative. Voters also voted to ban gay marriage and medical marijuana, by convincing majorities. So what does this mean for the national right-to-life community?

We'd like to hear your reports.

South Dakota voters on Tuesday firmly rejected a law banning nearly all abortions, but supporters of the measure vowed to continue pushing to further restrict abortion in the state.

With 91 percent of the state's precincts reporting, 55 percent opposed the abortion ban while 45 percent supported it.

Tuesday's vote ended a heated campaign that had drawn extensive national attention while dividing the state's medical and religious communities. Campaign spending trying to sway voters totaled nearly $4 million.

The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families, the group that forced the measure onto the ballot, called the bill's defeat a victory for reproductive rights.

"I think most importantly it sends a strong message to our Legislature," said Kate Looby, South Dakota state director of Planned Parenthood. "South Dakotans have had enough abortion legislation."