Almost immediately after Bush’s two Supreme Court nominees were approved, the final assault on a woman’s right to choice began. And South Dakota was where the right wing chose to start, though many other states are poised to follow. South Dakota is the front line in the battle for women’s rights right now. This is something that needs to be a major focus of our attention.

On March 6 of this year, South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds signed into law the most restrictive abortion ban in the nation – a total ban on abortions. Women will no longer be in control of their reproductive choices. The law is so extreme that even women who are victims of rape and incest will have no options available to them. Women whose health is in danger will no longer be able to make their own health care decisions. Doctors will go to jail. And South Dakota will spend millions in court battles for years to come.

The new South Dakota law is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2006 unless nearly 17,000 signatures are gathered to refer it to the November ballot when voters would decide its’ fate.

As a result of the passage of this extreme new law, a coalition of leaders has formed the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families to refer it to voters in November and to campaign for the repeal of the abortion ban. A petition drive to refer the law began on March 24.

The Healthy Families Campaign is the umbrella group for the campaign. It is co-chaired by 16 prominent South Dakota leaders from all corners of the state, from both political parties, young and old, ministers, doctors, nurses, the leader of the largest Native American tribe and two students. Many groups have endorsed this effort and are working with the Healthy Families Campaign. They include Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Focus South Dakota, Democracy in Action, The Mainstream Coalition, the ACLU, Grassroots South Dakota, South Dakota Advocacy Network for Women, the National Women’s Political Caucus, Native American Women Health & Education Resource Center, Pastors for Moral Choices, Republican Majority for Choice and many other groups and individuals.

The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families is organized as a South Dakota Ballot Committee and is registered with the South Dakota Secretary of State and the IRS. The Ballot Committee can accept unlimited