South Dakota Abortion Ban Bill Killed

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A South Dakota legislative committee voted down that state's abortion ban bill:

An abortion ban with exceptions for rape, incest and health of the mother was rejected Wednesday morning by legislative committee in Pierre.

The Senate State Affairs Committee just voted 8 to 1 to kill HB1293 without a vote of the full Senate.

Supporters of the bill can still force the bill out of committee with a one-third vote of the full Senate, but even key supporters of last year’s ban spoke against the measure.

Sen. Brock Greenfield, R-Clark, called abortion “a scourge on South Dakota,” and he called HB1293 a “noble effort.” But he also said the bill would not withstand a court challenge. “I do not believe there is any chance it will,” he said.

Greenfield, who also is chairman of South Dakota Right to Life, is not on the committee, but he testified as an opponent to the new ban.

That opening line about the abortion ban having exceptions for rape, incest, and the mother's health is highly misleading, of course. The exemptions came with draconian proof requirements that were clearly intended to discourage any woman from using them.

TChris at TalkLeft writes, correctly: "The Committee deserves a shout out for declining to waste time and money by advancing unconstitutional legislation."