| South Dakota passes abortion ban |
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Abortion ban endangers women and families FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 7, 2006 CONTACT: Rebecca Wiegand (o) 202-965-7700 (m) 202-427-7450 On Monday, South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds signed a bill that will endanger the lives of women and healthy families in the state by criminalizing abortion in nearly all cases. The bill would legally ban all abortions except in cases where the life of the mother is directly at risk. p> Crystal Plati, Executive Director of Choice USA issued the following statement in response to the bill being signed into law: “Governor Rounds played a political card that deliberately disregarded the well-being of women and families in South Dakota, instead, focusing on his hope that the bill will challenge and overturn Roe v. Wade." “This bill contains no exception to protect the overall health of a woman or to allow abortions in cases of rape or incest. It also jeopardizes the trust and professionalism expected from doctors and nurses who will no longer be allowed to prescribe and perform medically appropriate procedures without facing prison.” “South Dakota’s more than 750,000 residents deserve better than a governor and a law that disregards the health of women, the well-being of families, and their rights to personal privacy.” The bill is slated to go into effect on July 1, 2006, but could face a state referendum or other legal challenges that may postpone its negative effects on the people of South Dakota. # # #
Choice USA mobilizes and provides ongoing support to the diverse, upcoming generation of leaders who promote and protect reproductive choice both now and in the future. We are dedicated to the right of each person worldwide to decide when and if they will have sex, when and if they will be pregnant, and when and if they will have a child. In order to make those personal decisions, accurate information and safe, legal reproductive health services must be available to everyone.
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