South Dakota's Abortion Revolt

[dogday]

The state's restrictive abortion ban has galvanized a major grassroots campaign by citizens determined to overturn the law come election day.

South Dakota touched off a national tempest with its strict new abortion ban, but the law also fomented a local grassroots movement and opened a schism in the state's dominant Republican Party.

In a state with only one abortion clinic staffed by a doctor who visits from Minnesota, the issue now is poised to dominate this year's state elections, in which the governor's office and all 35 state Senate seats and 70 House seats are on the ballot.

The new law--intended to set up a legal challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court landmark ruling legalizing abortion--makes it a felony for anyone to help a woman end her pregnancy, even in cases of rape and incest or when the woman's physical or mental health is at risk. The law only permits abortion when it is necessary to save a woman's life. Opponents are gathering signatures for a ballot initiative to overturn the law. Republican legislators who voted for South Dakota's ban are attracting both Democratic and Republican campaign challengers. And Republican Gov. Mike Rounds, who signed the bill on March 6, has seen his support drop 20 percent, according to state polls.

If the ballot initiative fails and the law takes effect, the tribal president of the Oglala Sioux Indian Nation in South Dakota--territory that would be immune to the state law--already has vowed to build an abortion clinic on the reservation for all women in the state.

http://www.alternet.org/rights/35787/

[stepnw1f]

1. Good! (nt)

[Coexist]

what stepnw1f said.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

2. Read this passage. The Repubs snakes are eating their tail and Dems are

capitalizing on it!

>snip
"This legislation is extreme and does not reflect the values of South Dakotans who want families to be able to make personal decisions about health care without government interference," said Jan Nicolay, former Republican lawmaker and spokesperson for the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families.

>snip
Nicolay's group, formed immediately after the law's passage by citizens, doctors, clergy and Republican politicians, launched a campaign to overturn the law with a ballot initiative.

>snip
Meanwhile, in Statehouse primaries, Republican lawmakers who voted for the abortion ban are being challenged by more moderate Republicans who opposed the ban because they considered it too restrictive and an intrusion into people's private lives.

As Republicans feud, Democrats are filing for legislative seats in record numbers, "their strongest showing in 10 years," according to Robert Burns, political scientist with South Dakota State University in Brookings.

MKJ

[Norquist Nemesis]

13. I just hope it's pro-choice Dems

It was an anti-abortion Dem that introduced the bill, IIRC.

[El Fuego]

3. Planned Parenthood wisely decided not to sue.

Which was exactly what I thought they should do! If they sued, it would wind up in the SCOTUS, and giving the anti-choicers exactly what they want, a chance to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Instead of playing into the anti-choicer's hands, they took it to the streets!

:woohoo:

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. K & R for this wonderfully written, uplifting story.

:kick:

MKJ

[dogday]

11. My thoughts exactly

:hi:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. Here's a link to a great DU thread on the Oglala Siouxi's intention

to set-up a Planned Parenthood Clinic. They are also accepting donations!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=775494

[Triana]

9. Donations to the Oglala Sioux...

....GREAT idea! Thanks! I hadn't seen that before. We should definitely support them in their efforts.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

10. It felt so goood to send them my check! :)

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

6. Recommended! :

[acmejack]

7. Sanity!

Blessed sanity, it is so good to see ya...

[havocmom]

8. Good to see citizens remembering THEY have the power

and can fire irresponsible and unresponsive government!

:woohoo:

[myrna minx]

12. Way to go South Dakota.

:toast:

[Bridget Burke]

14. Some South Dakotans' ancestors first settled in Deadwood....

Didn't they?

I'm sure they are ready to go get those c*********s!

[Cha]

15. Kick for South Dakato!

I know they have a lot of progressive people out there!

[dogday]

16. kick

[tilsammans]

17. Excellent!

:kick:

[create.peace]

18. In my email today! More great news-Pro-choice Native American women runni

Pro-choice Native American women running for office


_______________
Charen Asetoyer is running for a Senate seat in the South Dakota legislature.

Many people have sent money, encouragement and great energy and also forwarded e-mail and blogged it,

So, meet Charon Asetoyer, a Great American link
and Charon Asetoyer, a True Alternative link
.

Well, thanks to YOUR great response, Charon is heading into the intense month before the June 6 primary with buttons, bumperstickers, lawn signs and creative radio ads that started airing on two stations this week. She¹s rolled up her sleeves and is working hard for her District 21 votes and we can¹t wait for her Victory on primary day!

Now you can support three more great progressivecandidates for the SD legislature.

All four of our candidates are Native women and we believe they are creating an historical first in SD. They are Charon Asetoyer, Faith Spotted Eagle, Paula Long Fox and Theresa Spry.

And when they win their primary races, they will join Theresa Two Bulls, an incumbent Senator running again for the Pine Ridge district seat, making FIVE Native women running on the Democratic ticket for state legislative offices.

AND! if each of these fine candidates makes it through her primary and wins in the general election she will REPLACE a legislator who VOTED FOR SD¹s ATROCIOUS BAN ON ABORTION! In fact, most of them face antichoice Democrats in the primary and that¹s what makes OUR help NOW so vastly important.

Help us move these dynamic, progressive women candidates thru their primaries! They¹re running on huge issues like reproductive health rights, including access to abortion, emergency contraceptives and pregnancy care. But they¹re also running on other issues important to their districts and to all of us - sustainable energy sources, clean water protections, living wages, quality public education, quality health care for all, affordable child care, creating communities free of domestic violence and sexual assault and even testing for depleted uranium on soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (candidate Long Fox will represent the military families of Ellsworth Air Force Base) to highlight just a few.

Political races in South Dakota don¹t take as much money to run as big state, big city races, but that doesn¹t mean they can run on nothing and so far it seems pretty unlikely the SD Dem Party is going to pitch in for them before the primaries. Our job is to help them win their primaries in a big way so that they are ³viable² and can perhaps get their party support in the general election.

A few dollars to each of these campaigns will help create change in South Dakota that we¹ll all feel wherever we live. The individual limit for donations to candidates in SD is $250, but $100, $50, or $25 can do a lot - from helping to pay for candidate forums to ads in hometown papers and radio spots. Every single dollar gets used well!

Won¹t we feel darned good for them, for SD and about ourselves when they win?

Send your contributions to these campaign addresses and don¹t forget to include your occupation and employer name if you are giving $100 or more.


Charon Asetoyer (Dist. 21 Senate)
Campaign for Change
P.O. Box 472
Lake Andes, SD 57356

Charon@******

Faith Spotted Eagle (Dist. 21 House)
Faith Spotted Eagle for Change
P.O. Box 762
Lake Andes, SD 57356

Eagletrax@******
more: Spotted Eagle: Deksi (Uncle) Vine ,
Braveheart Society )

Paula Long Fox (Dist. 33 House)
10520 Canyon Place
Rapid City, SD 57707
LongFox7@******

(more: American Indian Education Foundation )

Theresa Spry (Dist. 35 Senate)
821 Halley Ave.
Rapid City, SD 57701

Sprybunch@********
(more: Former teacher, family planning counselor for 14 years,
Chair of the League of Democratic Women among many other
efforts on behalf of women and her community.)

Thanks for everything you¹re doing for these candidates. We¹ll keep you updated as we head for June 6th and beyond! And don¹t forget to PASS THIS ON. We¹re not just building grassroots political action, we¹re building grassfires of progressive activism that can spread across South Dakota and our whole country.


Yours in solidarity,

Laura Ross
Pat Reuss
Sally Roesch Wagner
Laura Flanders
LaDonna Harris
Katha Pollitt