A spokesperson for the governor said that Noem is “focused on protecting women’s health” while the ACLU and Planned Parenthood “have shown that they are more worried about their bottom line.”
Planned Parenthood is launching legal action against South Dakota leadership over Gov. Kristi Noem's efforts to block the distribution of chemical abortion drugs through telemedicine. Under the new South Dakota law, women seeking chemical abortions through both abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol will be required to do so at a licensed abortion clinic. They will be unable to do so through the mail or Internet. Essentially, this means women seeking abortions must return to the clinic after a waiting period to receive the second drug.
The rule was introduced in September by Noem via executive order, which is set to go into effect starting Jan. 27 and was finalized by a legislative interim rules review committee earlier in January. The law makes South Dakota the only state to require three clinic visits for a medication-based abortion, and the only one to require waiting periods between all three visits.
As detailed by the Daily Wire, Planned Parenthood's Sioux Falls clinic is the sole abortion clinic in the state. The organization filed its lawsuit against South Dakota together with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of South Dakota.
The lawsuit was filed one day before the yearly March for Life, which has taken place every year since 1973 after the Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide.
Noem announced pro-life legislation similar to the Texas Heartbeat Act on the same day as the annual March for Life demonstration in Washington.
"We are hopeful the court will stop this rule from going into effect so that South Dakotans can choose for themselves when and how to access health care services, including abortion," said Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States in a public statement.
A spokesperson for Noem issued a scathing statement responding to the lawsuit, arguing that the Republican governor who, as a woman, is "focused on protecting women's health" while "the ACLU and Planned Parenthood have shown that they are more worried about their bottom line."
Noem is supported by pro-life advocates, who argue that Planned Parenthood’s motivation is based on profit and not on women's health and safety.
"This lawsuit reveals Planned Parenthood’s true motive: increasing its profit margin, no matter the risks to the health and safety of women and girls," stated pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser.
"Chemical abortion drugs, favored by the abortion industry for reducing their overhead costs, are dangerous and landing women in the hospital at an alarming rate," Dannenfelser said. "Thankfully seven states including South Dakota have taken action to protect women and girls and more are considering it every day."
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