2008 Woodie Awards
South Dakota defies Roe v. Wade
Eber Moreno
Issue date: 3/9/06 Section: News
South Dakota is just a couple of steps away from banning abortions. On February 23, 2006, the state Senate passed the South Dakota Abortion Act. The measure makes it a felony for any doctor to perform an abortion. Any doctor who breaks this law will face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
The only exemption to the bill is if a woman's pregnancy posses a serious threat to her health or life. The measure doesn't protect victims of rape or incest. The House is about to sign the law. The delay is due to some minor changes that some feel need to be made. The next and final step is for the Governor to sign it. If he does, South Dakota would be the only state to defy the United States Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade.
South Dakota has two Planned Parenthood clinics. There is one in Sioux Falls and one in Rapid City. Combined, they perform about 800 abortions a year.
The potential impact of the ban has not escaped pro-choice advocates closer to home. Theodore Gahaw, Planned Parenthood Grass-Roots Coordinator in Stockton, said, "We are going to fight the ban in court. The politicians can't disregard the general public's right to privacy."
In the Roe v. Wade case, Norma McCorvey (known in the case as Jane Roe), challenged abortion laws in Texas. She argued that the bill was unconstitutional. Henry Wade was the Texas Attorney General, who defended the anti-abortion law. The Supreme Court Justices ruled in favor of "Jane Roe," concluding that a woman's decision to have an abortion is protected under the Fourteenth Amendment's right to privacy.
Now, 33 years later, the Roe v. Wade decision is in jeopardy. Some people support the new South Dakota ban on abortion. Amanda Esquilin, an education major at MJC, said, "Abortion should be illegal. I'm happy there's a movement to stop abortion. I think abortion affects humanity in a bad way."
Other students oppose the new law. Sharon Duval, a pre-law major at Modesto Junior College, said, "I disagree with the ban on abortion. If the woman wants it (abortion), she should be able to do it. It's basically her right ...There are all different situations why they may need it, like there's health reasons. Or maybe they got raped or something. Someone that got raped doesn't necessarily want to bring that child into the world."
The only exemption to the bill is if a woman's pregnancy posses a serious threat to her health or life. The measure doesn't protect victims of rape or incest. The House is about to sign the law. The delay is due to some minor changes that some feel need to be made. The next and final step is for the Governor to sign it. If he does, South Dakota would be the only state to defy the United States Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade.
South Dakota has two Planned Parenthood clinics. There is one in Sioux Falls and one in Rapid City. Combined, they perform about 800 abortions a year.
The potential impact of the ban has not escaped pro-choice advocates closer to home. Theodore Gahaw, Planned Parenthood Grass-Roots Coordinator in Stockton, said, "We are going to fight the ban in court. The politicians can't disregard the general public's right to privacy."
In the Roe v. Wade case, Norma McCorvey (known in the case as Jane Roe), challenged abortion laws in Texas. She argued that the bill was unconstitutional. Henry Wade was the Texas Attorney General, who defended the anti-abortion law. The Supreme Court Justices ruled in favor of "Jane Roe," concluding that a woman's decision to have an abortion is protected under the Fourteenth Amendment's right to privacy.
Now, 33 years later, the Roe v. Wade decision is in jeopardy. Some people support the new South Dakota ban on abortion. Amanda Esquilin, an education major at MJC, said, "Abortion should be illegal. I'm happy there's a movement to stop abortion. I think abortion affects humanity in a bad way."
Other students oppose the new law. Sharon Duval, a pre-law major at Modesto Junior College, said, "I disagree with the ban on abortion. If the woman wants it (abortion), she should be able to do it. It's basically her right ...There are all different situations why they may need it, like there's health reasons. Or maybe they got raped or something. Someone that got raped doesn't necessarily want to bring that child into the world."