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Charlie Johnson's avatar

Abortion should be safe legal but so very rare . It should be the decision of a woman , spouse , partner , medical provider and religious counsel .

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Kristi Noem's Goat's avatar

Why religious counsel? I'm not religious.

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George Q Tyrebyter's avatar

Great comments. Thanks, Rick.

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N. Dean Nasser, Jr.'s avatar

Rather than take anyone's word for what the Proposed Amendment says or does, here it is verbatim:

INITIATED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PETITION

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Title: An lnitiated Amendment Establishing a Right to Abortion in the State Constitution.

Attorney General Explanation: This initiated amendment establishes a constitutional right to an abortion and provides a legal framework for the regulation of abortion. This framework would override existing laws and regulations conceming abortion.

The amendment establishes that during the first trimester a pregnant woman's decision to obtain an abortion may not be regulated nor may regulations be imposed on the carrying out of an abortion.

In the second trimester, the amendment allows the regulation of a pregnant woman's abortion decision, and the regulation of carrying out an abortion. Any regulation of a pregnant woman's abortion decision, or of an abortion, during the second trimester must be reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman.

In the third trimester, the amendment allows the regulation or prohibition of abortion except in those cases where the abortion is necessary to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman. Whether an abortion is necessary during the third trimester must be determined by the pregnant woman's physician according to the physician's medical judgment.

Judicial clarification of the amendment may be necessary. The Legislature cannot alter the provisions of a constitutional amendment.

Amendment Text: That Article VI of the Constitution of the State of South Dakota be amended by adding a NEW SECTION:

Before the end of the first trimester, the State may not regulate a pregnant woman's abortion decision and its effectuation, which must be left to the judgment of the pregnant woman.

After the end of the first trimester and until the end of the second trimester, the State may regulate the pregnant woman's abortion decision and its effectuation only in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman.

After the end of the second trimester, the State may regulate or prohibit abortion, except when abortion is necessary, in the medical judgment of the woman's physician, to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman.

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ls176's avatar

I used to be pro-abortion so I won’t say anything, except there’s a better way.

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Chuck Point's avatar

Really. How about the Freedom of a Woman to Control her Own Body. There is No Definition of Freedom that does Not Include a Woman's Right To Choose.

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ls176's avatar

Reproductive freedom, my a$$. Way to support the killing of babies. Go Rick!

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George Q Tyrebyter's avatar

If you don't want an abortion, don't have one. Don't be a forced-birth fascist nazi, bud. Be an adult. Allow others to solve their problems.

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SFmama4's avatar

Way to support government control of women. It’s not for you to make that decision for anyone. My daughter almost died from a miscarriage. I’d hate to see what would have happened if she had to get government permission first.

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Lorraine Besmr's avatar

If your daughter was having a miscarriage and almost died, it was not the issue of this article. A miscarriage is substantially different than murdering a baby in a medically induced abortion.

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SFmama4's avatar

A D&C IS categorized as an abortion because you are removing the fetus.

You are welcome to your opinion but not everyone considers an embryo (or even a fetus) a baby yet. For many people aborting an embryo is stopping a baby from developing not murdering a baby. Who are you to interfere in their life? It's a private matter and government (and the church) need to stay out of it!

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe V Wade they said they weren't ending it - only turning the matter over to the states to decide. Well this petition is to let SD citizens decide and Jon Hanson, the GOP legislators and the "Decline to sign" group are doing everything they can to prevent the petiton from getting on the ballot. That is interfering in SD voters' rights to decide the issue!

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Chuck Point's avatar

Not True. There is No Way to Conclusively Prove that it is a Baby. Any Definition of Freedom includes the Right to Control your own Body.

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ls176's avatar

I think common sense tells you it’s a baby. Otherwise, when do you think it turns into a baby?

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Miles S Benedict's avatar

Who put so much blatant hatred into your heart?

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ls176's avatar

I don’t have hate in my heart, Miles. I am just not a fan of someone going out of their way to support abortion. Like I told Chuck before, I used to be pro-choice but being pro-life makes so much more sense.

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SFmama4's avatar

I support women having the right to make their OWN CHOICE and keeping government out of personal lives!

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Kristi Noem's Goat's avatar

Not Pro-Life. Forced-birther.

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Mar 3, 2024
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SFmama4's avatar

That is YOUR opinion based on YOUR religious beliefs. Yes science agrees that an embryo is made of living cells but most people don’t consider it a baby until it develops a heart, brain, and other organs

YOUR religion does not have a right to tell others how to believe.

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SFmama4's avatar

And I saw how “your” group got in the face of petitioners and people trying to sign the petitions. More people signed because they didn’t like the way you were trying to tell them what to do!

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Nancy Turbak Berry's avatar

I wonder what folks who believe a fertilized egg is a human being are doing to get the millions of "babies" out of the freezers in IVF clinics. And why only start with protecting the "baby's" rights at conception? Eggs and sperms are living cells, so if it's really a matter of science, all eggs and sperm would be entitled to legal rights demanding their respect and preservation.

Apparently it's not a matter of scientific fact, but of religion or personal moral standards. Some very old and respected religions believe we're not "human" until we breathe our first breath, while others believe a fertilized egg is a "human." With such vast differences in religions, opinions, and personal beliefs -- and that's what they are, opinions and personal beliefs -- it seems most reasonable to leave the decision in each case to a woman, her physician, and her closest confidants.

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Kristi Noem's Goat's avatar

No are not pro-life you a forced-birther.

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Mar 5, 2024
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Kristi Noem's Goat's avatar

A HUMAN BEING HAS THE INNATE RIGHT TO BODILY AUTONOMY. FULL STOP.

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