Many agree that getting abortion rights on the ballot is good for protecting our bodies and our rights. Most also agree that it’s a great issue for Democrats.
This diary isn’t especially original, but as we say (often) in the GNR, repetition is good! Besides, this will be updated as new information comes in. And we’ll try to get out explicit information about where to sign.
As we’re waiting for election season to get going, this is what you can do. If you live in the state being featured, make sure you sign. If you don’t, but know people in the state being featured, try to get them to sign.
This diary is dedicated to South Dakota. Dakotans for Health must submit 35,017 signatures by May 7 to get on the 2024 ballot — where it needs a simple majority to pass.
Admittedly, South Dakota is a really red state, and so getting them to pass abortion rights probably won’t make a difference to the November election. Still, the abortion rights are even more important in those red states, where education and health care are so often depressed.
Who is doing this? Dakotans for Health.
The website contains a way to donate, a way to volunteer, and a way to discover where to sign up.
Here are some bits from their website:
Our amendment will Restore Roe v. Wade, period. Just read it yourself:
-
No government interference in the first trimester.
-
The state can regulate in the second trimester.
-
The state can regulate and even ban in the third trimester except life of the mother.
We are on a deadline and we hope you will help. Join our campaign to give South Dakotans back the rights that extreme politicians have stolen today!
According to the website, 65% of those in South Dakota think abortion access should be decided by the voters.
Also, they have a section on how to make the most of being someone who collects signatures, which I thought was interesting (and applies to more than just this situation):
Are you interested in making a difference in your community? One of the most impactful ways to do so is by collecting signatures for a ballot initiative. Ballot initiatives allow citizens to propose laws and constitutional amendments and get them on the ballot for voters to decide on. In South Dakota, a recent Mason-Dixon poll found that 65% of voters want to put Roe v. Wade on the ballot and let the people decide. If you're interested in collecting signatures for this initiative, or any other initiative, we've put together some best practices to help you get started.
Here’s some more background:
12 states where the fate of abortion rights could be on the ballot in 2024 Amy B Wang, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Washington Post, published Dec 20, 2023 (I tried to make this a gift article). Here’s some of what they write about South Dakota:
Current law: A trigger law banning all abortions in South Dakota, with no exceptions for rape or incest, went into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. In addition, state law dictates that anyone who helps someone procure an abortion, unless deemed medically necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant person, could face a felony charge.
The initiative: Dakotans for Health filed paperwork proposing a citizen-initiated ballot measure that would establish a right to an abortion in the state’s constitution. If passed, the state could not regulate abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy, could regulate abortion if “reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman” during the second trimester, and could regulate or even ban abortion in the third trimester, with exceptions for “life or health of the pregnant woman.”
State of play: National reproductive rights groups are sitting out this campaign, saying the language in the proposed ballot measure will not do enough to restore abortion rights in South Dakota. Dakotans for Health must submit 35,017 signatures by May 7 to get on the 2024 ballot — where it needs a simple majority to pass.
Current law: A trigger law banning all abortions in South Dakota, with no exceptions for rape or incest, went into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. In addition, state law dictates that anyone who helps someone procure an abortion, unless deemed medically necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant person, could face a felony charge.
The politics: South Dakota is as conservative as it gets: Trump defeated Biden in the state in 2020 with nearly 62 percent of the vote, and Republicans control the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature. All three members of South Dakota’s congressional delegation are Republican.
It is admittedly concerning that national reproductive organizations don’t think this does enough. But I think it’s better to push forward.
Do you have more to add? Please do so in the comments and I will update the diary.
Thanks! Let’s make a difference in 2024!
🐦 I do a lot of other writing. A recent offering: the Crow Nickels (chronicles), a trilogy about crows who want to save birdkind from extinction: Hunters of the Feather is the first. Other stories,based on Jane Austen novels — such as The Meryton Murders — and others, based on history and Greek mythology, such as Jocasta:The Mother-Wife of Oedipus, can be found here. All titles are available as paperbacks, as regular Kindle, and through Kindle Unlimited, although with KU I only get paid if you turn the pages.