Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in South Dakota

Supporters of anti-choice legislation have sunk to new lows this week. The anti-choice campaign in South Dakota used to rely on distorting the facts, but now they are getting desperate and resorting to bald-faced lies.

Supporters of anti-choice legislation have sunk to new lows this week. The anti-choice campaign in South Dakota used to rely on distorting the facts, but now they are getting desperate and resorting to bald-faced lies.

First, the proponents of the abortion ban mocked a rape survivor by appearing at a press conference dressed in a Cat in the Hat costume. Then they hid information and launched a TV ad that says referred law 6 has an exception for rape and incest (it does not). Now, their latest TV ad shows doctors supporting the ban, reiterating an exception for “the life and the health of the mother.” As Kate Looby and Rep. Murschel previously explained, there are no exceptions to protect women’s health in referred law 6.

Additionally, the opposition’s new ad tries to manipulate viewers by making it seem that doctors support the abortion ban. The crowd of doctors in the ad may support Referred Law 6, but the South Dakota Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (SDACOG) do not – they oppose the ban.

The ad continues by telling viewers that “the morning after pill may be taken in any event…Including sexual assault or incest.” However, having access to emergency contraception (EC) “does not minimize or lessen this ban’s impact on rape and incest victims,” according to the SDACOG. And let’s not forget that EC may not be available in many areas of South Dakota and pharmacists are legally allowed to refuse to give EC to customers.

In addition to the false ad, Vote Yes campaign operatives and volunteers have destroyed opposition literature and replaced it with their own, put up signs on private property without permission, blocked traffic in church parking lots and refused to leave, and misdirected voters to a bogus website to confuse people into thinking that SDCHF supports the abortion ban.

Lindsay Roitman, campaign manager of the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families (SDCHF), issued this statement:

“The Campaign for Healthy Families deplores these kinds of dirty campaign tactics,” said Lindsay Roitman, campaign manager. “They are running away from the issues and employing misdirection and lies because they cannot defend their position on this restrictive, rigid abortion ban. Even other abortion ban supporters around the state and country say there are no rape, incest or health exceptions. This law is dangerous for women.”

See SDCHF’s TV Ad below, which addresses the opposition’s deceptive ad campaign.