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Wednesday, May 31, 2006

SD-Gov: Voters Will Decide The Fate of The Abortion Ban And Of Rounds

Posted by RBH

From the group working to squash that law

Today, the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families announced the filing of more than 38,000 signatures on petitions to repeal the extreme abortion ban passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Mike Rounds on March 6. Petitions will be filed with the Secretary of State at 2 pm today.

If at least 16,728 signatures are deemed valid, voters will decide whether the ban should become law. [Source]

I'm liking the odds of this getting on the ballot.

Signing the extreme ban did deflate the numbers of Mike Rounds. Rounds has moved up slightly, but not back to 70%. With this issue on the ballot, I wouldn't expect him to move back up to 70% job approval.

The primary to determine Rounds opponent for the fall is next Tuesday. The two candidates for the Democratic nomination are Jack Billion and Dennis Wiese.

From how I'm reading their sites, both Billion and Wiese are on the record as opposing legislation such as the bill signed this year.

Basically, it'll be a white hot election year in South Dakota, because the Dobson-esque groups will be working hard to try and get the ban retained, while the opponents will be working extremely hard as well. This could have a legitimate effect on the Governor's race when people who oppose HB1215 go out to vote against that bill and against Rounds.

We'll keep our heads up on the Governor's race, it could turn interesting soon.

Posted at 11:22 AM in 2006 Elections - State, South Dakota | Technorati

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Comments

Billion is the man for proggresives to back in South Dakota. He is not only against the Abortion ban, but has said that he is against the same-sex marriage ban also on the ballot this November.

This year's governor will be a white hot fight in the corn fields.

Also, want to point out Focus South Dakota They raised millions to defend Daschle in 2004 and have gotten back together again to defeat the abortion ban. Check em Out

Posted by: pitin at May 31, 2006 12:29 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

And just to emphasize the number of signers, SD has ~770,000 residents. We're talking about ~5% of the population.

Posted by: PantsB at May 31, 2006 04:36 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

And considering that just over 1/4 of SD's population are minors, that's nearly 7% of the adult population.

Well, I'm floored.

Posted by: Omar Ahmed at May 31, 2006 04:58 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

So, Rounds approval rating is 65%. What is interesting is that Bush's approval rating there is only 39%. (Survey/Usa)
Wonder if Herseth has chimed in on either issue.

Posted by: Predictor at May 31, 2006 10:43 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Predictor, the last I heard, Herseth was quietly evading the abortion war in her state. It speaks pretty poorly of the RCCC that they couldn't find a serious challenger to Herseth that would force her to be in the spotlight taking a position on the issue. A toast to GOP recruiting incompetence.....

Posted by: Mark at May 31, 2006 10:58 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

I think Herseth has mentioned opposing the ban. But there's not anybody seriously opposing her either.

Posted by: RBH at May 31, 2006 11:48 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Yup Mark, Candidate Whalen was a gift. Stephanie seems to have the charisma & personality to pull it off, plus those political heritage family ties seem to work out somtimes, as here.
Her website is needlessly to say devoid of any info on the issues of abortion or gay marriage, its pretty much about Corn & Crop Rotation and, her photo hits me like I'm looking at a Gop site..LOL.

Posted by: Predictor at May 31, 2006 11:54 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

"...effect on the Governor's race when people who oppose HB1215 go out to vote against that bill and against Rounds."

Or...

The effect when all of those Dobson motivated voters go to the polls to DEFEND the ban, it could get worse...

I bet there will be wingnut eveangelical whackos parachuting in from all over.

That's what the Hate Amemendment accomplished here in Ohio and it helped put the Shrub back in the WHite House.

Posted by: Ohanon at June 1, 2006 08:12 AM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment