In the News
South Dakota’s Measure 11
By Connie Lewis and Nathan Peterson
Politics Magazine
February 2009
Unusual Messaging and Non-Traditional Coalition Partners Led a Red State to Reject an Abortion Ban...
In 2006, South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds signed into law a near total ban on abortion—one that allowed the procedure only to save the life of a pregnant woman. The 2006 abortion ban did not include exceptions for a woman’s health or for victims of rape or incest. As the sole abortion provider in the state, Planned Parenthood brought together a coalition of organizations and individuals to plan a response. From those discussions, the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families (SDCHF) was formed. In a state where ballot initiatives are part of the political culture, individuals and organizations supporting abortion rights decided to refer the abortion ban to a vote of the people.
