South Dakota reintroduces abortion ban with stiffer penalties

Pierre, S.D., Feb 1, 2007 / 08:28 am

The South Dakota House of Representatives yesterday introduced a new abortion ban for the state, this time carrying harsher penalties. The new bill increases punishment for illegal abortion to a class 4 felony, punishable by 10 years in prison.

Last year, South Dakota became the first state since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973 to pass a near total ban on abortion.  The law, however, was challenged by a voter referendum, where it was narrowly defeated.  Many voters said they opposed the referendum only because it did not include exceptions for rape and incest.

According to the AP, This year's bill would allow rape victims to get abortions if they report the rapes to police within 50 days. Doctors would have to confirm the report with police and would have to take blood from aborted fetuses and give that information to police for DNA testing.

In the case of incest, a doctor would have to get the woman's consent to report the crime along with the identity of the alleged perpetrator before an abortion could be performed. Blood samples from fetuses would have to be provided to police in incest cases, too.
 
About 870 abortions take place in South Dakota every year, according to the most recent statistics listed with the pro-abortion Alan Guttmacher Institute.

Earlier this year, Georgia also introduced a bill to ban abortion that contained no exceptions.