The issue that put South Dakota on the map two years ago has reared its ugly head again.
“It’s official: Abortion ban to be on the ballot” was the headline that was splashed across the front of the Rapid City Journal on the morning of Saturday, April 26th.
The issue of abortion is not one that is anything new in the state of South Dakota. This will be the second time in two years that the voters in the state will go to polls to decide the fate of abortion in the state. Two years ago the ban on abortion failed, the reason is believed to be because the restrictions on it were too strict. Under the new ban, called Initiated Measure 11, all abortions would be banned unless deemed necessary to preserve the lives or health of women and in cases of rape or incest.
“I think it’s just stupid,” said Aimee Kribell, a 19 year old Pro-Choice student from Brandon, SD. “It’s just the fact that it is brought up too much. They just need to get over it. It already failed once; it’s more than likely just going to fail again.”
When asked if she would be voicing her opinion in the upcoming election about the abortion ban she said that she definitely would be.
A Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls is the only place where abortions are routinely done in South Dakota. While it is not clear exactly how many abortions are done at this facility each year Planned Parenthood is the only the only abortion provider in the state.
“South Dakota already has some of the most restrictive abortion laws and lowest abortion rates in the nation,” said Sarah Stoesz, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. "Women must overcome substantial geographic, legal and cultural obstacles to access abortion in South Dakota. A woman considering an abortion gives it serious thought.”
According to Planned Parenthood no abortion can be performed in South Dakota without a 24-hour waiting period, mandatory education about the woman's options, notification of parents if the female is a minor, and an offer to view the fetal sonogram.
“It’s definitely a tough issue,” commented Lindsay Sparks, a 20 year old student attending Black Hills State University from Wyoming. “It’s almost ridiculous to ban abortions though because if someone really wanted to get one, they will find a way. I mean you can always go out of state or out of the country or whatever you have to do, especially if you have the money. It’s a lose-lose situation.”
"Women are given information about all their options, including adoption," Stoesz said. "They reflect and consult others whom they trust before they make their decision. If at the end of that process a woman still believes ending a pregnancy is the right decision given her family's circumstances, the judgment of the state should not trump the judgment of a woman and her family.”
Supporters of the ban call for support saying that it is not our place to play God, while opponents of the ban say that it is an infringement of our rights and it’s not the governments place to say what a woman can and cannot do with her body.
So who is right and who is wrong? That will be left up to the constituents of South Dakota when they go to the polls and cast their vote on Initiated Measure 11 on November 4th.