South Dakota passes abortion ban

South Dakota lawmakers Wednesday approved the nation’s most restrictive law on abortion, setting the stage for legal challenges that its supporters say they hope lead to an overturning of Roe v. Wade.

The measure, which passed the state Senate 23 to 12, makes it a felony for doctors to perform any abortion, except to save the life of a pregnant woman. The proposal must still be signed by Republican Gov. Mike Rounds, who opposes abortion.

The law was designed to challenge the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe, which in 1973 recognized the right of women to terminate pregnancies. Its sponsors want to force a re-examination of the ruling by the new members of the court, which include two justices appointed by President Bush.

“The momentum for a change in the national policy on abortion is going to come in the not-too-distant future,” said Rep. Roger W. Hunt, a Republican who sponsored the bill. To his delight, abortion opponents succeeded in defeating all amendments designed to mitigate the ban, including exceptions in the case of rape or incest or the health of the woman.

Kate Looby, director of Planned Parenthood of South Dakota, which plans to challenge the ban, said that while she was not surprised, she was still a “little shocked” by the vote. “Clearly, this is a devastating day for the women of South Dakota,” she said. “We fully expected this, yet it’s still distressing to know that this legislative body cares so little about women, about families, about women who are victims of rape or incest.”