Category: Uncategorized

Helping Moms and Babies

By: Kristi Noem
June 24, 2022

Today, the Supreme Court announced something that countless Americans have prayed for over the past 50 years: they reversed the Roe v. Wade decision and allowed states to make their own choices over abortion policy. In South Dakota, we have a law on the books that makes abortion illegal immediately, except to preserve the life of the mother.

Now, our focus needs to redouble on taking care of mothers in crisis and getting them the resources that they need for both them and their child to be successful. We also need to make sure that our abortion regulations are tight so that lives will be saved. We are agreeing to call a special session with leadership in the legislature and will have more announcements on that shortly.

Being pro-life doesn’t mean just caring about babies until they’re born – and it doesn’t mean forgetting about moms. We must get help to those who need it. To that end, I have launched a new website: Life.SD.gov. 

This website will help moms through their pregnancy. It will help new parents learn how to be the best parents for their kids. It will provide the best places to get financial assistance for families who are struggling. And it will streamline adoption resources, both for families looking to adopt a child and parents who are looking to give their child to a loving home.

Being a mom to three wonderful kids is the greatest adventure of my life, and I get to re-live it now with my first granddaughter. I want every mom to have the opportunity to experience that adventure for themselves. And if they choose not to, we want them to know that there are other paths available to them.

We will continue looking for ways to streamline adoption. Earlier this year, I worked with the legislature to provide funding for home studies for families looking to adopt. We are also increasing the number of foster families in the state who can help kids in need of a loving home, and the first year of my Stronger Families Together program successfully recruited our target of 300 new foster families statewide.

Every child deserves the right to live, and every child deserves to grow up in a loving home. South Dakota will continue to advance life, defend liberty, and guarantee that every person has the opportunity to pursue happiness. We will help moms and their children – before birth and after.

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With the announcement coming in the last hour of the official convention today, the fringe right has it’s challenger to incumbent Lt. Governor Larry Rhoden.

Steve Haugaard. 

No, really, You can stop laughing. They’ve put up Steve Haugaard?  Fresh off of getting his rear-end handed to him on a 3-1 basis by Governor Noem in the Primary election for Governor, someone had the bright idea to try to force him on the Governor as a running mate?

Steve wasn’t just bad as a gubernatorial candidate, he was awful. He didn’t /couldn’t raise any money, his campaign was non-existent, and he was excruciatingly boring and uninspirational.

I question whether the people who put him up to this are aware that the selection of Republican Candidates at the GOP convention is about putting our best foot forward to win elections? Not putting our foot in the lawnmower as a public display of stupidity.  And coming together in the last hour before the deadline gives good indication how much thought went into this. As in none.

The other thing they might want to consider is that Larry Rhoden is an outstanding Lt. Governor. And an outstanding person. Larry has only gotten better in the job over his term of office, and as people have remarked to me as evidenced in the impeachment hearing this week as they watched it, while the Senate had asked attorney and former Lt. Governor Matt Michels for a technical assist in the unprecedented proceeding, Lt. Governor Rhoden really didn’t need it, despite the new and very technical ground the matter covered.  He knows the job and his performance in it is exemplary.

Delegates should not reward Haugaard’s last-second, slapped together candidacy.

They can and they should dispatch this last-minute nonsense, and give Larry Rhoden four more – and well deserved – years as Lt. Governor.

Here we go with the hour or so of quibbling on resolutions, as Taffy Howard and Shawn Tornow are starting to drag this out..

The SDGOP State Convention is hearing resolutions this afternoon, and this gem would be the odd item on the agenda that no one has ever heard of before this weekend.

We’ll see how it will fit into things in today’s proceedings.

South Dakota Republican Party convention parliamentarian Justin Smith prepares for the Friday session to convene.

Governor Noem Announces Life.SD.gov

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced a new website, Life.SD.gov. The website helps mothers and their babies before birth and after by providing resources for pregnancy, new parents, financial assistance, and adoption.

“In South Dakota, we value life. But being pro-life doesn’t just mean caring about the unborn. It also means getting moms the help they need to be successful,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “We’re launching Life.SD.gov to give women the resources they need to navigate pregnancy pregnancy, birth, parenting, and adoption, if they choose.”

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Jackley: With Roe overturned, the fight is not over

Today’s landmark decision is a monumental win for the unborn and our country. Today the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v Wade, which will give the decision of banning abortion back to state legislatures. With this in mind, we must not take anything for granted. Now we will face immense legal battles to defend any laws that ensure abortion is not legal in South Dakota.

When Marty Jackley served as Attorney General, he proudly championed efforts to protect the unborn. Marty worked to defend our Governors and the legislature in their efforts to protect the unborn. After serving as Attorney General, he’s been honored to serve as South Dakota Right to Life’s Attorney at no charge. Fighting for the unborn is more than just speech; it’s about putting in the work. It’s the hard work Marty Jackley did to defend pro-life measures as your Attorney General, and throughout tireless efforts to stop abortion in South Dakota.

“South Dakota’s next Attorney General will have the important responsibility of defending our Governor and Legislature in our fight to protect the unborn. I have a proven history of fighting and winning for life, and I’m ready for this tremendous responsibility.” Jackley stated.

Johnson Issues Statement on SCOTUS Roe v. Wade Decision

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization:

“I’ve never believed the Roe v. Wade decision – which was ultimately a personal privacy case – was a justification to take a human life,” said Johnson. “The unborn deserve protection.”

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I was starting to prepare a post about Brookings presenting for the site selection committee for the 2024 or 2026 GOP state convention, and then as you might have seen, news happened..

The Supreme Court on Friday struck down Roe v. Wade, eliminating the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion and handing states authority to drastically limit or ban the procedure.

The 6-3 decision by a majority of conservative justices to fundamentally reshape American society by overturning the landmark 1973 precedent is certain to ignite a political firestorm and yield a complex patchwork of state laws that will effectively block large swathes of the population from terminating unwanted pregnancies.

Read that here.

Well, that kicked a hornet’s nest in politics, on a Supreme Court vote that wasn’t even close, as they kicked the regulation of abortion back to individual states to make a decision on.

As you’ll see, South Dakota has already announced a special session, and I’m sure there will be far more news to come on this topic in coming weeks.

Gov. Noem and Legislative Leaders Announce Plans for Special Session to Save Lives, Help Mothers

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, in response to the United States Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, Governor Kristi Noem and leaders in the South Dakota State Legislature jointly announced plans for a special session later this year to save lives and help mothers impacted by the decision.

“Every abortion always had two victims: the unborn child and the mother. Today’s decision will save unborn lives in South Dakota, but there is more work to do,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “We must do what we can to help mothers in crisis know that there are options and resources available for them. Together, we will ensure that abortion is not only illegal in South Dakota – it is unthinkable.” 

South Dakota’s trigger law, found in SDCL 22-17-5.1, provides that as of today, all abortions are illegal in South Dakota “unless there is appropriate and reasonable medical judgment that performance of an abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant female.”

“South Dakota Right to Life enthusiastically applauds this decision.  We will continue helping women navigate pregnancies they did not plan for as we remind South Dakotan’s that the pro-life movement cares about women and their unborn children,” said South Dakota Right to Life Executive Director Dale Bartscher. “Our movement includes nearly 3,000 pregnancy help centers across the United States designed to provide free services for women where and when they need it, such as free ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, prenatal vitamins, baby clothing, formula, parenting classes, and additional practical and material help. These centers and our tens of thousands of volunteers will continue looking for more ways to help mothers in need.”

The exact dates of the Special Session will be decided promptly after discussion with legislative leadership. The Legislature intends to take the time to make sure South Dakota law protects the unborn and helps mothers.

“With the end of Roe, South Dakota can again work to have enforceable laws to protect our children,” said Senate President Lee Schoenbeck. “A special session is necessary because we could not have known this winter in session that we would have this opportunity and new responsibility to protect lives presented by the Supreme Court’s decision. Also, there will be more work to do on the many challenges a post-Roe world presents in regular session next January.”

“South Dakota recognizes that an abortion terminates the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being, and we celebrate today that the grave injustice that the United States Supreme Court perpetrated upon generations of Americans in Roe vs. Wade has ended and that South Dakota can once again protect the lives of all beautiful, innocent, unborn human beings,” said House Speaker Pro Tempore Jon Hansen. “I look forward to working with Governor Noem, my fellow members of the legislature, and all South Dakotans to defend life; support mothers and fathers; and promote strong, healthy families.”

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