The US Supreme Court in 1973 has legalized abortion. But the rivals of the new South Dakota law challenge the decision of the Supreme Court. The new law is on its way to go in to effect this summer. The state’s voters are allowed to decide the fate of the law. The opponents of the law have to collect 16728 signatures by June 19 on petitions designed to put the law on the November ballot for an up or down vote.
The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families said that they have colleted more than 10,000 signatures and are very confident. Campaign spokeswoman Jan Nicolay said that there are a number of signatures and they have not yet counted fully. Even the South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, a Republican, signed the law. The anti-abortion law bans nearly all abortions, even when pregnancies result from incest or rape.Even if the woman's life is in jeopardy, the law states that the doctors must try to save the life of the fetus as well as the woman. On the other hand if the doctors who perform an abortion are identified then they could receive a $5,000 fine and five years of imprisonment. The abortion rights supporters say that the law jeopardizes the health of the women and violates her right to make private health-care decisions. The Campaign for Healthy Families was seen in Sioux Falls, Rapid City and other smaller cities for amassing people to sign. More than 700 volunteers have also spread across the state, going to homes and businesses in the effort to turn back the ban.
