Last year, Texas passed a law banning virtually all abortions after six weeks—weeks before most even know they're pregnant and a full18 weeks before the point of viability, before which the right to an abortion is protected under Roe v. Wade. Despite this blatant violation of the Supreme Court's landmark 1973 decision, the conservative-majority Court refused to grant a stay of the law's enactment. Even more foreboding, the Justices' questioning in a similar case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, suggests the Court intends to dramatically overhaul or even completely overturn Roe v. Wade.
But the Court's amenability to anti-choice legislation wasn't enough to convince South Dakota Republicans to entertain Republican Governor Kristi Noem's proposal that would've banned abortions after the detection of any fetal cardiac activity, which usually occurs between three and six weeks.
South Dakota's majority-Republican House State Affairs committee declined to hold a hearing for Noem's anti-abortion bill, with South Dakota's Republican House Speaker Spencer Gosch expressing concern the bill's passage would damage the state's lawsuit ongoing litigation with Planned Parenthood.
Gosch also suggested a sloppiness in the bill's preparation, telling the Associated Press:
“They showed up late to the game last minute, even last hour type stuff and it didn’t pass. Simple as that.”
Even prominent anti-abortion groups like South Dakota Right to Life weren't on board with the original draft language of the bill, but hope to see a more refined version considered in the future.
Others don't want to see a revival of the bill at all, but they're happy at the temporary reprieve.
Good https://t.co/njVz8HX3pi
— Kindness Counts (especially today) (@PatriciaLacey56) February 4, 2022
Well done!! https://t.co/WiYgeniOE9
— FangFan62 (@FangFan62) February 3, 2022
👇👇👇👇is surprising , but in the best way!! 🙏🙏 https://t.co/icRUNGiT9s
— Christine B (@chrisser1951) February 3, 2022
This is how we need to fight back!! https://t.co/SivC4K9Gkc
— Iriedeby (@iriedeby) February 3, 2022
One thing most people don't appreciate about the anti-abortion movement is that anti-abortion politicians and activists themselves are actually too scared to ban abortion directly.
Why? Because these people know abortion is more popular than they would have you believe. https://t.co/nuxZHxmxWf
— Free-loading Jazz Music Bum (@jazzmusicbum_2) February 3, 2022
OMG, Republicans behaving as humanitarians. Who'd a thought . . . https://t.co/tD7UTZfder
— JoeAm (@societyofhonor) February 2, 2022
Though the bill failed in committee, Governor Noem's actions succeeded in generating backlash against her.
Noemi's a [redacted] [redacted]. May she [redacted] a [redacted]. https://t.co/Xuq2uzSmUN
— Mongo: The Dog Who Was A Whale (@MongoFree) February 2, 2022
Women who hate women and want to deny them their civil rights are the worst women on the planet. https://t.co/6j7sfNPHzN
— Why won't it just DIE?! (@Idyll_Dream) February 3, 2022
All she cares about is being awful and corrupt enough to be considered a gop presidential candidate! https://t.co/edybz6XsxU
— moodyblue8! (@moodyblue82) February 3, 2022
South Dakotans likely haven't seen the last of this effort.
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The Most Backhanded Compliments People Have Ever Received