Two Years of South Dakota’s Extreme Abortion Ban

Two Years of South Dakota’s Extreme Abortion Ban

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 24th, 2024

State Rep. Linda Duba (District 15) released the following statement on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and paved the way for South Dakota’s extreme abortion ban:

“In the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, women in South Dakota have fallen victim to the state’s trigger law. South Dakota’s extreme abortion ban is putting people’s health and lives at risk. During this past legislative session, we heard testimony from Dr. Amy Kelley, an OBGYN from Sioux Falls. Dr. Kelley said South Dakota’s current law does not take into consideration the nuances that doctors have to handle when treating pregnant patients. She said that any delay in care could be disastrous to a person’s health and that the current law has doctors second guessing their own expertise. Dr. Kelley also said ‘I am almost daily, weekly caught between my ethical obligations to my patients and the new reality of our law — it’s really an impossible place to be.’

“After Roe was overturned, I shared my story publicly. I was in college in 1976 when I had an abortion. I had to go to Minnesota because abortions were still not provided in South Dakota. While I was able to travel to another state, not everyone can afford the time or money to access treatment outside of their community.

“Access to abortion, contraception, and IVF shouldn’t be in question. Politicians should NOT be interfering in medical discussions between a patient and their doctor. Congress needs to codify the protections of Roe into law, restoring women’s rights to decide their own health care.”

Paid for by the South Dakota Democratic Party | www.sddp.org