COUNTERPOINT | No Rights v. Roe Rights

Guest column by Rick Weiland, Dakotans for Health

I gladly accepted the opportunity to unpack the pack of lies of House Current Resolution 6008 and its attack on reproductive freedom in my recent testimony before the House State Affairs Committee of the South Dakota State Legislature.

I had the privilege of representing the voices of over 50,000 concerned citizens who have already signed our Restore Roe petition, protecting the lives and health of the citizens of our state.

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It's crucial to recognize that the majority of registered voters in South Dakota— comprising a staggering 65 percent — agree the decision about reproductive healthcare should be in the hands of the voters, not politicians. I reminded the Committee that a majority of South Dakotans had already voted twice against policies to eliminate access to reproductive healthcare and for the freedom to make their own most personal of decisions.

We must ask ourselves: why should a select few have the authority to dictate such deeply personal matters?

The initiative we advocate for seeks to rectify a fundamental injustice: the elimination of reproductive rights in our state. Despite overwhelming opposition from the people, there are those in power who persist in pushing forward falsehoods and misinformation as witnessed in HCR 6008. But why?

Why ignore the will of the people, resorting instead to deceitful tactics and intimidation to further their own personal views and anti-freedom agenda?

Our citizen-initiated amendment is not about radicalism; it's about restoring the protections afforded by Roe v. Wade, which have safeguarded women and reproductive rights for 50 years. It's about upholding the principles of individual liberty upon which this nation was founded. We believe that women and medical professionals should be making these difficult decisions, not the politicians in our state capitol.

Our Constitution stands as a bulwark against governmental overreach, empowering citizens to shape their own destinies. Yet, recent legislative actions represent a flagrant disregard for these principles. By criminalizing abortion even in cases of rape or incest, and by intimidating healthcare providers into compliance, our lawmakers have overstepped their bounds.

Let me be unequivocal: our proposed amendment mirrors the provisions of Roe v. Wade, allowing for third-trimester abortions only when medically necessary to protect the life or health of the mother. Contrary to baseless claims, it does not grant unrestricted access to abortion up to the moment of birth. Moreover, it does not preclude sensible measures such as parental consent requirements.

The opponents of reproductive freedom rely on fear and intimidation to bolster their stance. But when confronted with the facts and the overwhelming support of the people, their arguments crumble. They resort to desperate tactics, as evidenced by the angry "Decline to Sign" mob of harassers that we see every day shouting at our petitioners and people who want to sign the petition – so that they, the voters, not the politicians in Pierre, can determine how much freedom they want.

Recent studies have illuminated the dire consequences of abortion bans: 64,000 pregnancies resulted from rape in 14 states with abortion bans like ours, since the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Behind every statistic lies a story — a story of a woman denied the right to make decisions about her own body, of a doctor forced to choose between medical ethics and legal consequences, of a survivor of rape or incest left without recourse. Such callous disregard for freedom and the plight of survivors is unacceptable.

We should not succumb to fear or political expediency. Let us instead embrace the ideals of freedom and self-determination that define our nation. It's time for South Dakota to stand on the right side of history again, to honor the will of its citizens, and to reaffirm the fundamental principle, our state motto, that “Under God, the People Rule.”

Rick Weiland is co-founder of Dakotans for Health and the official sponsor of the Restore Roe Citizen-Initiated Amendment.