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South Dakota Discovers Anti-Choice Laws Don't Come Free

Thomas

on December 13, 2011 10:45 AM | Permalink

South Dakota's anti-choice governor, Dennis Daugaard, just released his 2012 budget proposal. It shows he's willing to use taxpayers' dollars to advance his anti-choice agenda.

In particular, Gov. Daugaard has budgeted $750,000 in legal fees to defend in court an outrageous, anti-choice measure that he signed into law earlier this year.

This is the law that forces a woman to wait 72 hours before receiving abortion care, and mandates that she receive an in-person lecture from an anti-choice "crisis pregnancy center" (CPC). CPCs are notorious for intentionally misleading women seeking information about reproductive-health care.

A federal court blocked the law from going into effect this summer, but Gov. Daugaard and his anti-choice buddies are appealing the ruling--at an estimated cost of $750,000 in taxpayer money.

Here's an idea: maybe, instead of spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars defending a law that forces women to hear misinformation from a CPC, they could, um, not do that.

Maybe they could spend that money on education, or roads, or job training, or health care, or better school lunches.

Do you have an idea for how better to spend $750,000 than on attacking women's health? Share it here in the comments section.

Gov. Daugaard's budget proposal makes one thing clear: as much as these politicians may hate government spending, they hate women's freedom and privacy more.

Tags: cpc, Crisis pregnancy center, Dennis Daugaard, Government spending, mandatory delay, rapid city journal, South Dakota, waiting period, Women's health,

A Guide to South Dakota's First-In-The-Nation Anti-Choice Bill

Thomas

on March 22, 2011 1:16 PM | Permalink

South Dakota Passes First-of-its-Kind Assault on Women's Privacy

South Dakota has opened a new front in the War on Women. Gov. Dennis Daugaard has signed an unprecedented bill that expands the state's already considerable interference in the personal, private decisions of South Dakota women.

The legislation is HB 1217, which forces a woman to undergo an in-person lecture at a "crisis pregnancy center" (CPC), many of which are biased, anti-choice, anti-contraception facilities whose sole purpose is to talk women out of considering abortion. The woman must make this visit even if it is against her will.

CPCs are notorious for intentionally misleading women seeking information about reproductive-health care. In fact, some centers force women to watch anti‐abortion films, slide shows, photographs, or hear lectures. Others refuse to provide information about or referrals for birth control, or spread misinformation such as "condoms don't protect against HIV/AIDS."

NARAL Pro-Choice America has been at the forefront of documenting the growing CPC trend for more than a decade. For more information about CPCs, see NARAL's fact sheet.

Isolating South Dakota Women

When facing the private decision of terminating a pregnancy, many women rely on trusted partners, friends, ministers, relatives, and loved ones for support. The new South Dakota law allows an anti-abortion organization to dictate who a woman could have with her at a "counseling session" - allowing the staff to separate a woman from the friend or relative who accompanies her.

The 72-Hour Waiting Period

In addition to forcing women to undergo an in-person lecture from an anti-choice organization, HB 1217 also requires her to delay abortion care for 72 hours, which could threaten her health. In a rural state like South Dakota, this requirement could mean a forced delay of days or even weeks, compelling women to undergo later abortion care that poses increased health risks. South Dakota's waiting period would be the longest in the country.

Statement from NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota

If you plan to write on this unprecedented bill, feel free to use the following quote for attribution from Alisha Sedor, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota:

"Gov. Daugaard is ignoring the citizens of South Dakota, who have twice expressed that they do not want the government to intrude on their private medical decisions. It is outrageous for politicians to interfere in the doctor-patient relationship in such an egregious way. Forcing women, against their will, to consult with an unlicensed, anti-choice, individual about their pregnancies flies in the face of patient privacy."

Tags: Abortion, Abortion debate, abortion restrictions, cpc, Crisis pregnancy center, Dennis Daugaard, South Dakota, waiting period,

South Dakota Legislature Passes Bill Forcing Women into Anti-Choice CPCs

Thomas

on March 8, 2011 12:51 PM | Permalink

The War on Women is blazing its way through the states.

Dennis Daugaard, the anti-choice governor of South Dakota, is expected to sign a bill that forces women to submit to an in-person lecture at an anti-choice crisis pregnancy center (CPC) before accessing abortion care.

On top of all that, South Dakota's bill also requires that a woman wait a minimum of 72 hours before obtaining care, which is now the longest waiting period in the entire nation. In a rural state like South Dakota, this could mean a forced delay of days or even weeks, compelling women to undergo later abortion care that poses increased health risks.

Alisha Sedor, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota, called the bill an unbelievable intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship:

South Dakota politicians have now made our state the first in the country to pass such a far-reaching bill that disrespects the doctor-patient relationship and turns women's health care into a game of government mandates. Politicians want to tell women who they can talk to before making a profoundly personal medical decision. It is hard to out-do insurance companies and HMOs when it comes to being told what doctor you can see or where you can access medical care, but the legislators behind this bill are doing just that.

The Mount Rushmore State is no stranger to extreme laws that interfere with a woman's right to make personal, private medical decisions. In the last five years, the state legislature has passed two near-total bans on abortion care.

Fortunately, South Dakota voters care more about women's freedom and privacy than their politicians do. They rejected two abortion bans in 2006 and 2008, respectively.

With 15 state governments now under total anti-choice control, other states could pass copycat laws forcing women into CPCs. That's why NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation and our network of state affiliates are touring the country to expose the dangerous practices of CPCs.

The CPC tour makes its next stop in Portsmouth, N.H., with a screening of 12th & Delaware next Monday. Space is limited, so sign up for the event today!

Tags: 12th & Delaware, Abortion, CPC, cpc tour, Crisis pregnancy center, Dennis Daugaard, hb 1217, Health care, NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota, New Hampshire, Pro-choice, South Dakota, war on women,

Results tagged “Dennis Daugaard” from Blog for Choice

South Dakota Discovers Anti-Choice Laws Don't Come Free

A Guide to South Dakota's First-In-The-Nation Anti-Choice Bill

South Dakota Legislature Passes Bill Forcing Women into Anti-Choice CPCs