Last week, Gov. Kristi Noem's telemedicine ban on medical abortions cleared its last hurdle in becoming South Dakota law.
Lawmakers at a six-member legislative rules review committee finalized the ban with a 4-2 vote, "troubled" the bill skirted a more thorough debate in the legislature.
"I truly am troubled," said Republican Sen. Timothy Johns at the review committee meeting. "I'm highly reluctant to ever intervene when it comes to decisions between patients and doctors, and I think we're getting too close."
More:South Dakota lawmakers approve protocols for Gov. Kristi Noem's telemedicine abortion ban
The new rule makes it harder for pregnant people to access abortion pills, mandating patients take two prescribed medications for a medical abortion in-person at a licensed abortion provider, namely Planned Parenthood's clinic in Sioux Falls.
Pregnant people also have to wait an additional two weeks following the administration of the abortion medications for a follow-up appointment with Planned Parenthood.
That's on top of the mandated "informed consent visit" with a pregnancy help center and a 72-hour waiting period before the medical abortion procedure.
The rule represents South Dakota's strictest abortion law yet, and one of the strictest bans on abortions in the country.
"I look forward to the day when the life of every unborn child is protected in South Dakota," Noem stated in a press release on the rule change.
Until then, Noem says South Dakotans know pregnant...
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