Drive launched against S. Dakota abortion ban

[cal04]

Abortion-rights supporters launched a referendum drive on Friday to overturn a new South Dakota abortion ban passed as a challenge to the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized the practice. The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families coalition filed with the state to begin collecting the 16,700 signatures needed to put the issue before the voters in November, Deputy Secretary of State Chad Heinrich said.

If the petition drive obtains the needed signatures by June 19, the law would be put on hold until the voters decide on its fate in the November election. If not enough signatures are gathered the law would go into effect July 1, leaving opponents with the option of challenging it in court. A petition drive flies in the face of the expectations of abortion opponents, who have been counting on a legal challenge to the law in the hopes that the case would eventually make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

With two conservative justices recently appointed to the high court, abortion opponents believe they have an improving chance of overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established the right to
abortion. Participants in the campaign to overturn the South Dakota law said before the petition drive was announced that a referendum had advantages over a lawsuit.

"When you take things to the courts you don't have the opportunity to engage the public in the process. You don't have the ability to build a movement," said Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Kate Looby, whose group is part of the effort. South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, a Republican, signed the law March 6. The measure bans nearly all abortions, even in cases of incest and rape, and says that if a woman's life is in jeopardy, doctors must try to save the life of the fetus as well as the woman.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-03-24T173325Z_01_N23280960_RTRUKOC_0_US-RIGHTS-ABORTION.xml

[rodeodance]

1. i sure hope they get the needed signitures (and then send the jerks packin

)

[okieinpain]

2. I don't I hope the law goes into effect and people start leaving that

back-ward's ass state in droves. When they start having a hard time keeping super wal-marts open, and can't find enough people to pay taxes. I'll bet you good money, the very same dumb asses that sign that ban will start finding ways around it to try and encourage people to move to S.D.

[Blaze Diem]

3. Smartest direction to take in preserving a woman's legal right..

Put it on the ballot. Keep it out of the Neocon stacked courts.

Do be careful of that vote rigging thingy though. First collect and present your signatures and THEN make every moment count as you work to rid your State of Diebold style voting machines.
I don't know what SDak uses, but its another step in the wole damned process.
May the people rise up to destroy the reich.

Good Luck to you, stay safe through it all.

Where Can I Send A Donation?
The road that lies ahead of your isn't a long one, but a very difficult one indeed.
Funding is needed to carry you through.

Hey, its just another yellow brick road..if Dorothy defeated the demons along the way, then so can we all..

Bless All
Blaze