Noem Promises Special Session To Ban Abortion If Supreme Court Overturns Roe v Wade

      South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem says if the U.S. Supreme Court follows through on a draft opinion that overturns Roe v Wade, she will call a special session of the legislature to ban abortion in the state.

      The Supreme Court ruling would automatically trigger a 2005 law that outlaw abortions in South Dakota, so Noem’s tweet on calling a special session would seem to be unnecessary.

     Republican State Representative Jon Hansen suggests a special session could “bolster” the trigger law to “make sure pregnant mothers are protected from being pressured or coerced across state lines to have their babies’ lives terminated.”

    Planned Parenthood North Central States, South Dakota’s only abortion provider, has been planning how to help abortion seekers travel to states where the procedure is legal.

     Minnesota could become a destination for abortion services for women from other states because abortion would remain legal, at least for now, under a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling. 

      Minnesota does have some significant restrictions in place, including a 24-hour waiting period and a requirement that minors notify both parents before they can get an abortion but advocates have a lawsuit due to go to trial to remove those barriers.