The pro-life organization Life Defense Fund has filed a lawsuit to block a South Dakota pro-abortion ballot initiative that would enshrine abortion as a constitutional ‘right’ in the state.
In its complaint filed last week, the organization is challenging the legitimacy of the ballot initiative’s petition drive led by an organization called Dakotans for Health. The lawsuit alleges that Dakotans for Health broke election laws in its process of gathering petition signatures. Life Defense Fund also contends that Dakotans for Health misled people as to what they were signing. The pro-abortion group submitted more than 54,000 petition signatures to the South Dakota Attorney General’s office in May, and around 85% of those were deemed valid.
Nearly all preborn children are currently protected from abortion in the state, but Life Defense Fund has warned that if passed, the proposed amendment would undo that law and allow abortion throughout pregnancy to the point of birth. It would also eliminate measures including parental notification laws, conscience protections for medical professionals, and facility requirements for abortion businesses.
READ: Live Action calls for Equal Protection for the preborn under 14th Amendment
“The public should scrutinize Dakotan[s] for Health’s comments and carefully consider its credibility. In the end, the Court will determine whether such unlawful conduct may result in the measure being included on the ballot,” Life Defense Fund attorney Sara Frankenstein said in an email Monday.
Dakotans for Health is denying any claims put forth by Life Defense Fund and has now asked a federal judge to intervene. The group filed a motion in federal court on Tuesday that counters Life Defense Fund’s claims.
“This is on the ballot and we are absolutely confident this will stay on the ballot and people, the people of South Dakota, are going to have the right to make the decision on what kind of reproductive health care, what kind of options they want, and not the politicians sitting in Pierre, South Dakota,” said Dakotans for Health co-founder Rick Weiland.
Jon Hansen, co-chair of Life Defense Fund and a Republican South Dakota state legislator, said the group will continue its effort to protect preborn children from abortion.
“We’re reviewing the complaint, and we will continue to fight to protect mothers and babies from the atrocities of abortion in our state,” he said in a statement.
