A coalition of groups including Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and NARAL held a press conference in Washington DC Tuesday. The press conference launched their campaign against the proposed abortion ban in South Dakota.
The ballot initiative would amend the state constitution to prohibit “abortions except in cases where the mother’s life or health is at risk, and in cases of rape and incest.” However, Planned Parenthood Action Fund president Cecile Richards stated that the authors of the ban “are being deceptive by characterizing this proposed law as more reasonable and less restrictive. The truth is that this ban would be the most rigid and inflexible ban on abortion in the United States,” according to the Guardian.
Sarah Stoesz, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood for Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota stated that this ballot measure “is part of a well thought through strategy of the right” that focuses on going to the grassroots. Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU, corroborated Stoesz’s statement when he explained that there is a well-documented strategy by the right to find the one case that could overturn Roe v. Wade.
