Republican legislators in the South Dakota House of Representatives continue to rehash the culture wars of the past instead of fix the budget crisis of the present, said South Dakota Democratic Party Chairman, Ben Nesselhuf.
Under South Dakota House Bill (HB) 1217, sponsored by State Representative Roger Hunt (R-Brandon), any woman who seeks reproductive services must first meet with a doctor to obtain an “independent determination” that her decision is “voluntary, uncoerced, and informed,” seek counseling from a pregnancy health center, and then sign a consent form that allows her to seek reproductive services 72 hours later.
“Twice the South Dakota’s voters have spoken on reproductive rights, and twice they’ve voted in support of a woman’s right to choose,” said Nesselhuf. “Reasonable parties can agree to disagree on this issue. But time spent rehashing the battles of the past is time spent shirking the problems of our budget today.”