Abortion Measure to Appear on South Dakota Ballot in November

A petition to reinstate abortion rights in South Dakota has garnered enough valid signatures to be included in the Nov. 5 ballot. However, opponents have pledged to challenge it legally, as reported by NBC News.

South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson, a Republican, confirmed that the petition for the ballot measure has been validated. The measure, labeled as “Constitutional Amendment G”, aims to “establish a right to abortion in the Constitution of South Dakota,” according to Johnson.

Voters will decide on allowing the state to regulate abortion after the second trimester, except when necessary to preserve the life or health of a pregnant woman. South Dakota currently only permits abortion in cases where the life of the mother is at risk.

Dakotans for Health, the sponsor of the amendment, expressed that the validation of the signatures ensures that the people of South Dakota will determine the fate of Roe v. Wade as the law of the state.

Opponents of the measure have until June 17 to contest it with Johnson’s office. Co-chairs Leslee Unruh and state Rep. Jon Hansen reaffirmed their commitment to defending unborn babies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.