Washington D.C., Aug 15, 2008 / 22:00 pm
A South Dakota initiative on the November ballot that would ban abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or a threat to the mother’s life has mobilized national abortion rights groups in opposition. The groups see the state ballot’s Initiated Measure 11 as a “first step” in a legal challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
“Let’s not kid ourselves," Nancy Keenan, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice America, told reporters at a press conference in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. "The people behind this effort [want] to make South Dakota the first step in a long-term campaign to mount a legal challenge to Roe."
According to Cybercast News Service, Keenan was joined by Cecile Richards, who is president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Richards said the initiative is a “cynical effort” to use South Dakota to further their goal of challenging “the fundamental right of women in this country that supported the right decision to make these personal decisions.”