The group backing a ballot question to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution is tabbing a former lawmaker to lead its campaign.
Dakotans for Health named Nancy Turbak Berry chair of what it’s calling the “Freedom Amendment Coalition.”
Turbak, a Democrat from Watertown, was first elected to the state legislature in 2006. She served two terms in the Senate.
Referencing votes in 2006 and 2008 where state voters rejected abortion bans passed by the legislature, Turbak said support for abortion rights in the state isn’t new.
“South Dakotans have repeatedly said that they want women to have the freedom to make their own choices when it comes to pregnancy and abortion," Turbak Berry said during a press conference Friday.
Turbak Berry, who has practiced law since 1982, owns Turbak Law Office. Turbak Law is a financial supporter of SDPB.
Last month, the secretary of state approved Amendment G for the November ballot. South Dakota’s near total abortion ban went into effect after the US Supreme Court struck down Roe V. Wade, the decision guaranteeing a woman’s right to the procedure.
Supporters say Amendment G enshrines those protections. Critics call the ballot question extreme.
