South Dakota currently bans abortion except in cases where “there is a reasonable medical judgment that performance of an abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant female” [SDCL 22-17-5.1]. Republican leaders are now proposing a slight widening but also a notable complication of that exception to include substantial and permanent physical harm to the pregnant woman.
House Bill 1169, filed yesterday by prime sponsor and Assistant House Majority Leader Representative Taylor Rehfeldt (R-14/Sioux Falls), widens the exception to South Dakota’s abortion ban by explaining that an attending physician may justify an abortion as “necessary to preserve the life of a pregnant female” by determining that continuing the pregnancy would put the woman “at serious risk of death or of a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of one or more major bodily functions.” HB 1169 thus expands the exception for abortion from death to death or permanent disability.
HB 1169 still would not allow Planned Parenthood to resume offering abortion services to women at its Sioux Falls clinic. Hb 1169 requires that the few abortions it will allow must be performed by a physician at a licensed hospital.
HB 1169 doesn’t let these exemptions come easily. Section 2 of the bill requires that the attending physician who performs a justified abortion must within 30 days report to the Department of Health “demographic information regarding the patient, a brief description regarding the medical condition that necessitated the abortion, the method by which the abortion occurred, and the gestational age of the fetus.” In other words, doctors must tell the state about every abortion performed and provide evidence that the state could use to prosecute them if someone in Pierre wants to argue that the woman wasn’t really in enough danger to justify exercising the right other American women have to control their pregnancies.
Rehfeldt and her SDGOP leadership co-sponsors, including House Majority Leader Will Mortenson (R-24/Pierre) and Senate Omnipotentiary Lee Schoenbeck (R-5/Lake Kampeska) want HB 1169 enacted immediately. The bill includes an emergency clause declaring this measure “necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety” and providing for its immediate implementation upon passage and the Governor’s signature.
I don’t know what it is but there is more going on here than first meets the eye.
It seems that way Nick. I’m guessing that doctors/hospitals/insurance companies realized they are open to big lawsuits if they allow a birth that didn’t completely kill the mother, but rather severally maimed her.
6. No foetus in the United States has any civil rights. Republicans preach civil rights for human blastocysts but deny the protections of the First, Fourth and Ninth Amendments to people who enjoy cannabis.
I have a feeling we’re getting closer to a law that might protect them from divorce when they knock up their young girlfriends…. that’s my hunch, anyways.
I feel violated every time these sick, creepy old men discuss ways of controlling a woman’s pregnancy. They are total pigs.
You know DeSantis is trying to make child rape a death sentence. I never knew he hated Matt Gaetz that much. He still wouldn’t let her abort however.
It’s nice to see your healthcare legislated by buffoons isn’t it. I hope they don’t get into the heart business since they don’t have one but you never know. Legislators acting on medical procedures, sheriff’s who KNOW the constitution, America is becoming an Idiocracy.
I wonder if these proposed reporting requirements would violate HIPPA?
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/laws-regulations/index.html
Violations Schmioltaons. Who is there to prosecute the violators in embarrassingly red South Duhkota?
Pretty soon this “law” will look like the tax code, absolutely no abortions except… except… except… When will these dolts understand that you can’t enact a blanket law to cover all situations. Perhaps pot-bellied old men ought to stick to something they understand, and who knows what that might be, rather than decide medical issuers from the floor of the legislature.
The first official fascist state in the nation will judge whether you qualify for medical treatment.
They cannot get it through their heads that some fetal malfunctions and malformations cause death. Ectopic pregnancy, septic fetus (i.e., a miscarriage that will not be expelled without help), pre-eclampsia, to name 3. And there are others. Without an abortion, the mother will die, and the fetus will die in either case. And ten year olds who get impregnated are going to have permanent damage done to their body, if they survive the birth process at all.
Head east, my children, for salvation by sane politicians…
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/01/28/minnesota-senate-votes-to-guarantee-abortion-rights-sends-bill-to-governor
Minnesota, where women have actual rights and politicians that care for their rights.
All this does is tell people they can’t use abortion for birth control. I met a young woman once who said she had a boyfriend who pressured her to have unprotected sex because if she did get pregnant she could “always get an abortion.” Not, “don’t worry, I’ll take care of both of you,” he said “you can get an abortion.”
She told him no, she couldn’t, and kicked him to the curb. (Where, hopefully, he became roadkill.)
At the same time, efforts to get men to pay for pregnancy-related expenses are ramping up, to the dismay of irresponsible men everywhere who are already complaining about child support payments.
Boo-hoo.
Thank god for states like Minnesota, Colorado and New Mexico for protecting women’s rights.
What magats have in mind is to stop birth control from preventing abortions because wasicu fake kristian men want total control over women and their bodily functions.
https://www.ksl.com/article/50570264/complications-during-pregnancy-linked-to-a-higher-risk-of-heart-disease-study-finds
Magats, now is the time to legislate against doctors reporting pregnancy complications to women so they won’t choose to abort fetus to save their own life down the road.