FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Press Office
Dakotans for Health
605-610-8146
Decline to Sign Court Case Challenges South Dakotans’ Right to Vote on Radical Abortion Ban - Amendment G on November Ballot
August 14, 2024
Sioux Falls, SD...Rick Weiland, Co-Founder of Dakotans for Health and sponsor of the Freedom Amendment G, has responded to the recent court filings by attorneys representing the Decline to Sign Campaign, which challenge the validity of a forthcoming vote on South Dakota’s abortion ban.
“First, the Right to Life/Decline to Sign campaign argued that South Dakotans should not have the right to vote on abortion. Now, facing the reality that they cannot prevent the vote, they are attempting to invalidate it altogether. This unprecedented request, made by attorneys Frankenstein and Hansen, is not only baseless but also reflects their desperation,” said Weiland.
Weiland emphasized that the request to invalidate the vote is without precedent and unsupported by any legal authority. “It is clear that the Right to Life politicians are fearful of letting the people decide on this issue,” he added.
The contentious request aims to prevent South Dakotans from exercising their constitutional right to have their votes on Freedom Amendment G counted. According to Weiland, “What Right to Life has asked is for the court to direct the Secretary of State to issue a statement declaring that votes on the amendment will not be counted. This is a blatant attempt to circumvent the democratic process. Amendment G is on the ballot. They are asking for the Secretary of State to ignore the votes before they’re even entered.”
Weiland also criticized the ongoing legal challenge as a repeated effort by Right to Life extremists to undermine the Freedom Amendment and the 55,000 South Dakotans who supported it. “Their claims that petition signers were deceived have fallen flat. Not a single petition signer removed their name from the Secretary of State’s random sample. Now, they are focusing on minor technical violations that occur in any petition process and using these to argue for disqualification of the amendment. This is not only a farcical claim but could potentially invalidate every initiative and amendment passed by voters,” Weiland stated.
Concluding his remarks, Weiland said, “The facts are straightforward. Right to Life politicians have imposed a radical abortion ban in our state, forcing women who have been raped to give birth and threatening doctors with imprisonment. They know the Freedom Amendment G is likely to pass, and now they are attempting to discredit the vote itself. This new form of election denial is so absurd, it belongs in Disneyland.”
####
About Dakotans for Health:
Dakotans for Health is a grassroots organization focused on healthcare and protecting the democratic process. The organization was instrumental in the successful 2022 campaign to expand Medicaid coverage to 52,000 low-income South Dakotans. Dakotans for Health will continue its efforts to ensure our neighbors have access to the care they need, no matter who they are, what they look like, or how much money they have.
Make a Donation to Restore Abortion Rights in South Dakota
Note: if you have saved your contribution information with ActBlue Express your donation will go through immediately.
P.S. You can always make a direct contribution to support the campaign too. We prefer ActBlue if you can. You can also send us a check to Dakotans for Health, PO Box 2063, Sioux Falls, SD 57101.
Kommentare