A pro-life group in South Dakota filed a lawsuit to block an amendment enshrining abortion in the state constitution from appearing on the November ballot, alleging the initiative contained fraudulent signatures, the Associated Press reported.
South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson approved the measure in May after it received over the required number of signatures from supporters. Life Defense Fund filed a complaint on Thursday alleging a number of issues, including that Dakotans for Health, which sponsored the amendment, did not file an affidavit confirming petition circulators’ residency and that petitioners misled supporters about what they were signing, according to the AP.
The amendment would ban any restrictions on abortion in the first trimester, according to the final attorney general’s statement. It would allow the state to have some regulation over abortion in the second trimester so long that it is “reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman,” and allow abortion to be prohibited in the third trimester unless the life of the mother is at risk.
Dakotans for Health was required to receive at least 35,017 signatures from supporters, and they submitted around 55,000, according to a press release. Johnson’s office noted in the approval announcement that 84.92% were deemed valid, basing it on a random sample.
Performing an abortion in South Dakota is considered a Class 6 felony, unless it is done to save the mother’s life, the legislature’s website reads.
Other states will have abortion amendments on their November ballots, including Florida and Maryland.
The South Dakota Secretary of State’s office, Dakotans for Health and Life Defense Fund did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline, and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- Dem mayor’s hand-picked school board president resigns after just a week over antisemitic social media posts - November 1, 2024
- Judge rules anti-Israel group can sue universities over alleged free speech violations - October 31, 2024
- Catholic hospital forced to provide emergency abortions after blue state AG’s lawsuit - October 30, 2024
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
