Roe v. Wade overturned: What’s next for SD?

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - In a historic ruling, the United States Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion, a right that women had for nearly five decades.

The court officially announced the decision overturning Roe V. Wade early Friday, more than a month after the draft opinion was leaked.

State lawmakers in South Dakota passed what’s called a ‘trigger ban’ in 2005. This means abortion immediately became illegal in the state once the decision from the court was made.

The law does make an exception if the life of the mother is at risk, but not for cases of rape or incest.

Chief Medical Officer Sarah Traxler with the North Central Division of Planned Parenthood says women in South Dakota will now have to travel out of state to get an abortion.

She says Planned Parenthood in Minnesota is already gearing up for the influx of women seeking an abortion.

“We have increased the number of people we can see in Minnesota, and we’ve hired a navigator specifically work with patients on resources necessary to travel,” Traxler said.

Abortion does remain legal in the bordering states of Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska.

However, some South Dakota lawmakers have floated proposals that would make it harder for women to seek abortions out of state.

That could come up in a special session that has not been scheduled yet.

The office of Governor Kristi Noem unveiled a website called Life.SD.gov.

Noem says the website’s aim is to provide aid for pregnant women.