South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s abortion ban dismissed by Republican lawmakers

A Republican-controlled South Dakota House committee on Wednesday declined to consider a bill from Gov. Kristi Noem, which was aimed at banning nearly all abortions. This bill was a top item on the governor’s agenda.

Noem touted her proposal this year, which had similarities to the Texas law and prohibited abortions once medical professionals can detect a fetal heartbeat.

It swifty met resistance when groups opposed to abortion access raised issues over her bill draft and Republican lawmakers on the House State Affairs committee declined to give it a hearing.

“They showed up late to the game last minute, even last hour type stuff and it didn’t pass,” said House Speaker Spencer Gosch, a Republican. “Simple as that.”

Gosch said he shared Noem’s goal of banning all abortions, however the language she proposed would “jeopardize” the state’s involvement in a separate legal battle with Planned Parenthood, which operates the state’s only clinic that regularly provides abortions.

Noem has campaigned for support for the proposal from several national groups opposed to abortion access, but in-state groups flagged what they saw as problems with the bill.

“We were not in support of the governor’s original draft language,” said Dale Bartscher, the director of South Dakota Right to Life. He added that he too was worried it would endanger the state’s standing in the case against Planned Parenthood, but that he hoped the governor would make revisions and bring it back.

Noem unveiled the proposal last month. It would have outlawed most abortions in the state by prohibiting abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. It would also leave enforcement up to private citizens through lawsuits instead of through prosecutors and criminal charges.

Noem told reporters she was caught off-guard by the committee’s decision not to hear the bill. “They’re not listening to national leaders in the pro-life movement on the momentum we have in front of the Supreme Court and what this legislation means to South Dakota,” she said, adding that she didn’t believe her proposal “takes any credibility away from the case in front of the Supreme Court.”

Noem, who has positioned herself for a 2024 White House bid, later blasted lawmakers on Twitter, posting: “Every single life is precious and deserving of our protection, but apparently South Dakota legislators think otherwise.”