Abortion ban fails in S.D. Senate panel

[babylonsister]

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/linkframe.php?linkpg=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4570432.html&linkid=31183

Abortion ban fails in S.D. Senate panel

By JOE KAFKA Associated Press Writer


PIERRE, S.D. — A South Dakota bill to ban most abortions in a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade appeared dead Wednesday after a state Senate committee rejected it.

The surprising 8-1 vote marked the third time in four years that measures to bar abortion in South Dakota were defeated. The Legislature passed an even stricter ban last year, but it was rejected by the voters in November.

Supporters had hoped to use the new law to prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its 1973 ruling declaring the right to an abortion. Opponents argued the bill was so plainly unconstitutional the court probably wouldn't even consider the case.

State Rep. Gordon Howie, the bill's sponsor, said he would try to bring the bill to the full Senate anyway. But several senators said there were probably not enough votes to revive the bill.

Last week, the South Dakota House passed the measure 45-25. The bill would have allowed abortions only in cases of rape, incest, a threat of severe injury to a woman's health and to save a woman's life. In the bill that passed last year, the only exception was to save the mother's life.

A Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls is the only acknowledged abortion provider in South Dakota. About 800 abortions are done in the state each year.

[MonkeyFunk]

1. Wow, 8-1?!

That's great!

[Breeze54]

2. Glad to hear this!

8 - 1 is pretty amazing!

[Raskolnik]

3. Well its good to be wrong sometimes.

I thought for sure they'd be able to get it through this time.

Good job South Dakota.

[terip64]

4. kick

[NobleCynic]

5. Of course

It isn't in the interest of the GOP to ever ban abortion. Fighting it is so much more beneficial. If you have doubts regarding that point, I'll state my belief the GOP leaders long ago reached the same conclusion. Hence a GOP dominated State Senate killing something in committee 8-1.

My supporting evidence is thus: The Republicans held all three branches of government from 2000-2006, with a brief interruption in the Senate in 2001-2002, and did nothing to ban abortion. They had the ability but not the will. Moreover, Roe v Wade went in under a Republican Supreme Court. Since then, their advatage has only grown. Lastly, study the example of the Federalist Party. The worst thing that can happen to a political party is success. Once you achieve your goals you have nothing left to run on.

Pro-lifers are political suckers. A true machiavellian in charge of the GOP would never ban abortion. But he would fight it until the end of time. He just would always come just short of winning the fight. Just short of actually banning it. It is the perfect issue to manipulate people with. Why kill such a political gold mine by banning it? Especially when the people easiest to sway with such an issue are the ones that, economically speaking, have the least to benefit from GOP rule.

[Maat]

6. I think that you're quite correct.

If the Radical Religious Right ever won any of their battles, their funding would dry up! Moreover, so would the funding to their candidates!