A bill was introduced in the South Dakota state legislature Tuesday that would require mandatory consultation between a woman seeking an abortion and the doctor who would perform the procedure a day prior to the procedure.
Republican Representative Roger Hunt, who supports the bill, told the Aberdeen News that “It only seems reasonable to assure that the doctor is available for fully informed consent.”
A spokesman from the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families, which worked against proposed abortion bans on the state ballot in 2006 and 2008, told the Aberdeen News that it “is inappropriate, particularly in a year of economic crisis with serious budget issues it is not the time for this. We need a unified approach to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.” The group also supports a separate bill that would require that most private health insurance plans cover contraceptives. The 2008 ballot measure that would have banned abortion in the state was defeated by voters 55% to 45%.
