"I think it'll save lives because it lets women know that their children really are humans just like us. I think it's a great step forward for our state, and I would like to see us do more to protect the innocent."For background, read about court battles over late-term abortion restriction laws.
-- Rep. Isaac Latterell (R) Tea, South Dakota
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Late-term Abortion Ban Passes in West Virginia
Abortionists Stymied by New Oklahoma & Kansas Laws
Abortionists, Satanists Team Up vs. Missouri Law
Physicians Force New York Times to Admit 22-week Fetus is a Baby!
Also read this Gallup poll: Americans Want Abortion Laws Changed
-- From "South Dakota Governor Signs 20-Week Abortion Ban Into Law" by James Nord, Associated Press 3/10/16
The measure allows abortions later than 19 weeks if there is a medical emergency, but a claim or diagnosis that a woman intends to kill or harm herself aren't part of the exemption. The law says that when such an abortion is necessary because of an emergency, the doctor must "deliver the child in the manner which ... provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive," but only if that is consistent with preserving the woman's life and preventing an "irreversible" impairment of a major bodily function.
Performing an abortion that violates the new threshold is a Class 1 misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. A woman who gets such an abortion would not be subject to that consequence.
Similar laws are in effect in 12 other states. Courts have blocked laws in Arizona, Idaho and Georgia.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "New 20-week limit on abortions sent to governor" by Bob Mercer, Rapid City Journal correspondent 3/10/16
State senators gave final approval Wednesday 26-7 to the legislation, Senate Bill 72 . . .
Sen. Jeff Monroe, R-Pierre, was prime sponsor. His lead sponsor in the House was Rep. Isaac Latterell, R-Tea.
The House of Representatives passed the bill Monday 59-7. The House made changes that Monroe described as necessary to correct minor mistakes in the Senate version. Monroe was the only senator to speak on the matter Wednesday.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Daugaard approves 20-week abortion ban" by Dana Ferguson, Sioux Falls Argus Leader 3/10/16
Supporters say the measure aims to prevent excruciating pain fetuses experience during abortion procedures. While some doctors contend that fetuses can feel pain at 20 weeks, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says evidence suggests that's not possible until the third trimester begins at 27 weeks.
Opponents including representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union and reproductive rights groups have said the measure is unconstitutional as it bans abortions before the point of viability. They also said the measure could create health problems for some pregnant women.
Thirteen states have approved similar bans, according to the reproductive health think-tank Guttmacher Institute, which depart from the 22-24 week standard of a fetus' viability outside the womb established by the Supreme Court's landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. At least two of those bans in Arizona and Idaho were enjoined due to court orders, voiding the policies.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "South Dakota Criminalizes Late Abortions" by Lacey Louwagie, Courthouse News Service 3/11/16
Some called the bill unnecessary. The only clinic that performs abortion in South Dakota is Planned Parenthood in Sioux Falls, which will not perform abortions after the 14th week of gestation.
The bill's author, state Sen. Jeff Monroe, R-Pierre, called that "baloney."
"I don't believe they are cutting it off at 14 weeks," he told Courthouse News.
The bill requires medical professionals to fill out a form answering 23 questions about any abortion performed in the state. Information sought includes the reason for the abortion, the mother's age and race, the gestational age of the fetus, and how the procedure was paid for.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "South Dakota Governor Signs Pro-Life Bill Banning Late-Term Abortions After 20 Weeks" by Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews.com 3/11/16
[Gov.] Daugaard spokeswoman Kelsey Pritchard told the Associated Press that the state’s attorney general “will be prepared to defend the constitutionality of the bill” if pro-abortion groups challenge it.
The bill is modeled after the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which has become law in 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Though abortion advocates deny the science of fetal pain, researchers have established that unborn babies can feel pain at 20 weeks or earlier. Dr. Steven Zielinski, an internal medicine physician from Oregon, is one of the leading researchers into it. He first published reports in the 1980s to validate research showing evidence for unborn pain.
He has testified before U.S. Congress that an unborn child could feel pain at “eight-and-a-half weeks and possibly earlier” and that a baby before birth “under the right circumstances, is capable of crying.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Kill Baby to Save Mother? No! Says Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker
