“Misleading and Extreme”: Vote No on Amendment G

While Amendment G is being touted as a way to “Restore Roe v. Wade,” it’s far from that. Amendment G would allow abortion for virtually any reason through all 9 months of pregnancy – more extreme than Roe v. Wade ever was.

Many proponents of G claim that it will allow for abortions in situations that threaten the life of the mother. However, South Dakota law already allows for medical exceptions as long as “there is appropriate and reasonable medical judgment that performance of an abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant female.” This includes care for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages.

Because of this, we know that women’s health is not being threatened by the abortion ban. The real problem is that G may endanger women’s health because it proposes that “the State may not regulate a pregnant woman’s abortion decision and its effectuation” during the first trimester. 

The word “effectuation” is vague enough that South Dakota would not even be able to ensure that abortions are performed in medical facilities that meet health and safety standards, endangering the lives of women seeking abortions in this state. 

Only during the second trimester may the State begin to regulate safety standards of abortions – “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.” 

Even more disturbing, there is no limit to the reasons a pregnant woman may choose to have an abortion. Sex-selective abortions, killing preborn children that may be disabled – you name it, Amendment G allows it.

Throughout the 3rd trimester, G states that the State may regulate or prohibit abortion except when deemed necessary “to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman.” 

Unfortunately, the word “health” is ambiguous, to say the least. 

The US Supreme Court has deemed that health can be related to any factor – including (but not limited to) age, emotional, psychological, and familial factors. 

Even if a fetus is viable outside of the womb (24 weeks or later) and able to feel pain, Amendment G would allow for that same fetus to undergo a chemically induced heart attack and/or be violently dismembered for the child to be delivered. A plurality of Americans (~43%, according to the Pew Research Center) disagree with abortion after the point of viability.

Finally, the most important issue is this: every abortion kills a genetically unique, living, and growing human being. 

Every human deserves the right to life, regardless of the circumstances of their conception, and Amendment G would allow for the most vulnerable among us to be killed simply for existing. 

If you are registered to vote in South Dakota, I urge you to vote no on Amendment G in November and stand up for those without a voice. Amendment G is too extreme and does not represent the interests of South Dakota voters. 

For more information, please visit NoOnGSD.com or visit @yotes_for_life or @lifedefensefund on social media.