PIERRE, S.D. (AP) 鈥� An anti-abortion group in South Dakota has appealed to the state's Supreme Court after a its lawsuit to take an off the November ballot.
In a statement, Life Defense Fund Co-Chair Leslee Unruh said the group has asked for an expedited order from the court 鈥渂ecause there are absolutely no legal grounds for this dismissal.鈥� The appeal was filed Wednesday.
鈥淲e will do everything we can to move this case as fast as possible,鈥� she said.
The group the initiated alleging wrongdoing related to petition circulators. Measure group Dakotans for Health tens of thousands of petition signatures in May. Secretary of State Monae Johnson's office later the initiative for the Nov. 5 general election ballot.
The measure would bar the state from regulating 鈥渁 pregnant woman鈥檚 abortion decision and its effectuation鈥� in the first trimester, but it would allow second-trimester regulations 鈥渙nly in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman.鈥�
The constitutional amendment would allow the state to regulate or prohibit abortion in the third trimester, 鈥渆xcept when abortion is necessary, in the medical judgment of the woman鈥檚 physician, to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman.鈥�
South Dakota abortion as a felony crime except in instances to save the life of the mother, under a trigger law that took effect in 2022 the U.S. Supreme Court the constitutional right to abortion.
Since that decision, abortion rights measures have passed in all where voters have weighed in. Similar measures will be before voters in a this year.
The Associated Press
