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Legislative Update from Pierre: February 20, 2022

By February 20, 2022South Dakota
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Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” –Matthew 19: 14

Prohibit Medical Abortion via Telemedicine
HB1318 would prohibit medical (RU-486) abortion through telemedicine. The rise of telabortion results from pro-abortionists using the coronavirus crisis to expand access to abortion-inducing drugs.

This dangerous practice kills human life and puts the life and health of the mother at risk. Self-administered chemical abortions lack medical oversight and care. 

For the mother to end her pregnancy, she takes mifepristone blocking progesterone, which cuts off food from the baby and ends its life. A day or two later, she takes the second pill, Misoprostol. This drug triggers blood flow so that she passes the baby. Women experience a series of symptoms, like abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even death. If she suffers complications, there is no guarantee that she has a caregiver and may endure alone the hard and depressing process.

HB1318 will require the medicine to be prescribed by a licensed physician in a licensed abortion facility. Both medications must be taken at the facility instead of at home under the care of the facility’s staff. The mother must be given all the required informed consent as required by any other abortion and return after two weeks for a follow-up checkup.

HB1318 will be heard in the House State Affairs Committee Tuesday, February 22.

Action: Please contact your two representatives and ask them to support HB1318. If you do not know who your representatives are, click here. Send an email message here


Commercial Surrogacy and Adoption

We are pleased that SB137 failed in the Senate with a vote of 15-20. We wanted a No vote. This bill would have legitimized commercial surrogacy. It would have violated the rights of the child by commodifying the child through a contract and exchange of money. Contracts are for transferring property, not people.

CWA supports HB1311, which relies on the adoption code to put the child’s best interest first, allows for altruistic surrogacy, and falls under the adoption code. Those codes will be utilized when voluntarily terminating a relationship between a birth mother and a child. Unfortunately, HB1311 failed in the House with a vote of 29-38. We wanted a Yes vote.

Action: Contact your representatives if they voted Yes and thank them. If you do not know who your representatives are, click here. Send an email message here


Critical Race Theory

HB1012, “An Act to protect students and employees at institutions of higher education from critical race theory training and orientation,” passed in the House this week with a vote of 54-14. We wanted a Yes vote. 

HB1337, “An Act to protect elementary and secondary students from political indoctrination,” passed in the House with a vote of 50-18. We wanted a Yes vote.

Action: Contact your representatives if they voted Yes and thank them. If you do not know who your representatives are, click here. Send an email message here


Coerced Abortion

HB1113 “An Act to prohibit threats made with the intent to coerce an abortion and to provide a penalty therefor.” HB1113 makes it a Class B felony to threaten an expectant mother in order to coerce her to have an abortion. The bill passed unanimously in the House.

PRAYER: Father, we thank you for the legislators who serve our state. Please give them wisdom with every vote they make that it would honor You. Keep them healthy and keep them from weariness during these final weeks of the legislative session.

Linda Schauer
State Director