Another Reason to Hate People: South Dakota House OKs an Abortion Ban

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South Dakota Lawmaker OKs Abortion Ban
Tue Feb 10,10:22 PM ET
By JOE KAFKA, Associated Press Writer
PIERRE, S.D. - The House passed a bill Tuesday that would outlaw most abortions in South Dakota, but opponents said it would do nothing but cost taxpayers money if it becomes law.
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House Bill 1191 (sd.us)
The bill, passed 54-15, would outlaw abortion unless a mother's life is in danger. It makes no exceptions for rape victims or women who could suffer permanent serious health problems by having babies.
"When we're considering an innocent life, the health of the mother is not a substantial enough justification to take the innocent life," said Republican Rep. Matt McCaulley, chief sponsor of the bill.
Opponents argued that if the Senate approves the bill and it becomes law, it will be thrown out in court because it runs counter to U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) decisions that have found abortion to be legal. They noted that courts have rejected state abortion restrictions twice in recent years.
The cost of another legal challenge could be $1 million, Democratic Rep. Mel Olson estimated. He blamed the legislation on "a lot of goodhearted people from other states who are frustrated with the Supreme Court, looking to ride the horse of our South Dakota taxpayers to the Supreme Court."
The bill would punish those who perform abortions with up to five years in prison and $5,000 fines.

To borrow from Mark Twain, we need another Flood. This time, no Ark.

― Kingfish Beatbox Botox Funktion (Kingfish), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Should we start a pool on how soon it gets struck down by a Roe v. Wade challenge?

― Bryan (Bryan), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:27 (twenty-two years ago)

That really is a foolish move on their part. I'm sure they meant it as a 'statement' or something, but it's throwing a rock at a hornet's nest... If these kooks want to 'win', they have to take an incremental position, not just ban abortion outright. It's wasting everybody's time.

I never really thought of S. Dakota as being that right-wing.

― andy, Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)

you've probably never really thought of S. Dakota period.

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:34 (twenty-two years ago)

daschle's up for re-election this year, yes?

MAYBE THERE'S A CONNECTION?!?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)

It's pretty easy to make a state right-wing when only seven people live there.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)

it passed *54 to 15*? Crap there are a lot of republicans up there.

My mother and her whole family are from there, but they're from the reservation, which doesn't count. I suppose they could still do abortions there.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Wyoming, meanwhile, makes their legislative time work for them:

Wyo. May Make Littering Via Urine Illegal

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Urinating in a bottle and tossing it alongside the road would be made
illegal under a bill introduced Wednesday in the Senate.

The practice, lawmakers say, has become problematic in some areas. A measure that passed
introduction would classify it as littering, a misdemeanor punishable by up to nine months in
prison and a $1,000 fine.

"For those of us who look at the beautiful scenery of Wyoming, we should now start looking at the
shoulders of our roads," said a tongue-in-cheek Sen. Bill Vasey, D-Rawlins, the bill's sponsor.

Admitting it would be hard to enforce, Vasey said the measure is still needed to address an
increasingly pungent problem, especially among highway cleanup crews.

"I think it's beyond their scope to pick up someone's bottle of urine, to be honest with you," he said.

The Senate Judiciary Committee (news - web sites) will now consider the measure.

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"Damn kids! Keep yer piss bottles offa my property!"

― Kingfish Beatbox Botox Funktion (Kingfish), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:38 (twenty-two years ago)

these 2 state bills are some of the most persuasive arguments against "state's rights."

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 12 February 2004 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm really afraid RvW wouldn't stand up to a challenge.

― Viva La Sam (thatgirl), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

<<"When we're considering an innocent life, the health of the mother is not a substantial enough justification to take the innocent life," said Republican Rep. Matt McCaulley, chief sponsor of the bill.>>

In other words, we're pro-life for everyone except slutty women who happened to get knocked up...

― Baked Bean Teeth (Baked Bean Teeth), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Took the words right outta my mouth. Never mind if she could end up leaving her possible child an orphan. Always room for one more in an already crowded social services system.

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

...they're from the reservation...I suppose they could still do abortions there.

I can't believe that I'd never thought about this. If the SC struck down Roe v. Wade, this would not be true though, right? Anyone know Tribal Law?

― Hunter (Hunter), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:38 (twenty-two years ago)

"I'm going to the reservation to gamble and have an abortion!"

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Pick up a couple cartons of smokes for me Dan?

― Hunter (Hunter), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

sounds like the plot of a South Park ep...

― Kingfish Beatbox Botox Funktion (Kingfish), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Did anyone see Wanda Sykes on the Daily Show right after or right before the Bush II inauguration?

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't say I'm surprised - I wonder how many abortion providers SD already has. When I lived in Nebraska, there was one, and a second one was being built in Lincoln. The doctor in the first one lived in Lincoln and was constantly harassed at his home.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"I'm going to the reservation to gamble and have an abortion!"

Get a pair of dice and scrubs at reception, but see the fine print before you sign.

Ridiculous.

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Thursday, 12 February 2004 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Meanwhile, the Dept. of Justice want to know who has had a late-term abortion

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

But hospital administrators are balking because they say the highly unusual demand would violate the privacy rights of their patients, and the standoff has triggered clashing interpretations from federal judges in recent days about whether the Justice Department has a right to see the sensitive files.

In other words, they are breaking a sweat over having to do their jobs.

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:21 (twenty-two years ago)

*cough Uh Oh -- US Justice Dept is after some hospitals' abortion records cough*

― Kingfish Beatbox Botox Funktion (Kingfish), Thursday, 12 February 2004 21:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Is it my fault that your thread already scrolled off of new answers for me?

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes.

Yes it is.

― Kingfish Beatbox Botox Funktion (Kingfish), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

OK, I just wanted that made clear.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

No problem. I like to help.

― Kingfish Beatbox Botox Funktion (Kingfish), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Is this the same state where its senator plowed into somebody and killed him/her because he just can't drive 55?

― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Sammy Hagar fan, was he?

― Baked Bean Teeth (Baked Bean Teeth), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:59 (twenty-two years ago)

He actually was Sammy Hagar.

― martin m. (mushrush), Thursday, 12 February 2004 23:21 (twenty-two years ago)

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