Dakotans For Health is submitting signatures to ask voters whether to enshrine abortion protections into the state constitution.
Officials with Dakotans For Health are submitting 55,000 signatures for a proposed measure to overturn South Dakota’s near-total abortion ban.
That’s well above the 35,000 signatures required to get a constitutional amendment on state ballots – though they still must be verified by the Secretary of State.
The group has been collecting signatures since November 2022.
State law prohibits abortion—even in cases of rape or incest. The only exception is to save the life of the mother. Some health care professionals say the law is vague and want clarity.
Rick Weiland is with Dakotans For Health. He said the state’s current abortion ban goes too far.
“The freedom amendment that we will file today will overturn the radical abortion ban we have now and guarantee a right to abortion within the framework of the rights women had for 50 years under Roe V. Wade," Weiland said during a Wednesday press conference.
The abortion question is not supported by the ACLU South Dakota, nor Planned Parenthood North Central States. Both groups cite concerns with the ballot question language.
The petition effort will likely face legal challenges.
Outside of the Sioux Falls city center—anti-abortion protestors gathered, chanting “deception is not democracy.”
Those with the group Life Defense Fund allege signers were duped by the petition effort. Lawmakers passed an emergency bill in March to allow individuals to pull their signature from petition efforts.
Leslie Unruh, co-chair of Life Defense Fund, said the group is looking to file a lawsuit.
“Right now, we’re raising lots of money to hire some really good lawyers and to go after them, sue them, because this is wrong," Unruh said.
If the abortion question makes the November ballot, it will be the third time voters have weighed in on abortion in 20 years. South Dakota voters twice rejected similar abortion bans that are now currently state law.
SDPB's Evan Walton contributed to this story.
