Gretchen Borchelt, Senior Counsel & Director of State Reproductive Health Policy

by Gretchen Borchelt, Senior Counsel
National Women’s Law Center 

On November 4, voters in California, Colorado, and South Dakota will not just be voting for our next President. They will also be voting on whether women’s access to abortion is restricted – or eliminated altogether – in their state. Those three states all have abortion-related initiatives on the ballot. In two states – Colorado and South Dakota – the ballot initiatives attempt to outlaw abortion. In California, voters will decide whether to mandate parental notification before a teen can have an abortion.  Here’s a brief description of each ballot initiative, as well as links for more information.

• South Dakota. South Dakotans will vote on whether to make it nearly impossible for women to obtain an abortion in the state. You might remember that just two years ago, South Dakota voters rejected a similar abortion ban. But the same group that spearheaded that failed effort is trying again. They just won’t give up! They have made it clear that the goal is to challenge Roe v. Wade. The new initiative on this November’s ballot is a sweeping ban on abortion and it’s just as dangerous as the 2006 ban. The anti-choice activists who proposed the ban claim it allows abortions in cases of rape, incest, and when the woman’s health is threatened. But take a closer look, and you’ll see that those exceptions are very narrow and place heavy burdens on women seeking abortions and the doctors who care for them. Under this proposed ban, doctors in SD who try to care for women would face felony charges and jail time. The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families - the bipartisan coalition formed originally to defeat the 2006 ban – is working to stop this dangerous initiative. Check out their website to see how you can help them.