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Unplanned Democracy
Unplanned Democracy

Unplanned Democracy

In November 2024, South Dakota voters will vote on abortion. It’ll be the third time the electorate has weighed in on the issue in 20 years.The state has a near total abortion ban. There’s no exception for rape, incest, or severe fetal anomalies—only to save the life of the mother. Some healthcare providers call the law unclear.Backers want to enshrine abortion rights to the state constitution. Opponents call the law too extreme.SDPB’s new podcast, Unplanned Democracy, picks up where the late-Denise Ross’s documentary of the same title left off. It looks at the history of abortion politics in the state since 2004—including the fall of Roe V. Wade and Constitutional Amendment G. Find it wherever you get your podcasts on October 16.

Available Episodes 3

Many health care providers say South Dakota’s current abortion ban is unclear and creating a hostile environment to practice women’s health care. Lawmakers and the state seek to clarify the ban. The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to remedy the confusion while also allowing the state to restrict the procedure. Plus, two women who’ve spent decades on opposite sides of the abortion issue weigh in on the current political climate around abortion.

As abortion rights activists work to place a constitutional amendment on the 2024 November ballot, two historically integral organizations say the proposed language is not enough. The disagreement mirrors how anti-abortion forces were divided on how best to tackle and overturn Roe V. Wade.

In June 2022, a near-total abortion ban went into effect in South Dakota after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In 2006 and 2008, voters rejected abortion bans at the ballot box.