McHenry County Blog

8/29/6 - It was still light when Penny Pullen and I reached our meeting point near Sioux Falls with State Rep. Roger Hunt, sponsor of the abortion bill being voted upon in South Dakota this fall.

Rep. Hunt explained how the bill is designed to set up a challenge to Roe v. Wade in the United States Supreme Court.

I was pretty amazed at how a legislative study committee had prepared a 72-page report based on hearings at which proponents and opponents were given the exact same time to testify. Many testified by telephone.

Hunt said that they had over 2,000 pages of affidavits from women who had been aborted. He noted they could be used as evidence in any trial, as could the compiled testimony.

Of course, a U.S. Supreme Court challenge won’t be possible unless the law is re-approved in the referendum put on the ballot by abortion opponents.

Opponents were not confident enough to rely solely on the courts to overturn the law. They decided they wanted three bites at the apple, the second being the referendum.

To make passage of the referendum more likely, people can make contributions on this web site:

Vote Yes on Referral Law 6.

Today’s Washington Post article on the referendum says the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) is “channeling cash into the campaign.”

The Post headlined its article, “South Dakota Becomes Abortion Focal Point,” not coincidently using NARAL’s spokesman’s words.

Naturally, the Post featured a pro-abortion female physician. A younger female obstetrician attended the planning meeting we attended. The Washington Post could have focused on her.

And a negative Chicagoland voice is quoted:

The ban is not "something we would have chosen," said Daniel S. McConchie, chief of staff of Chicago-based Americans United for Life. "To overturn Roe v. Wade, which is the goal here, you have to be able to count to five members of the court. We count five in favor of keeping Roe."

Perhaps Mr. McConchie is unaware that cases take years to get to the Supreme Court and some liberal Justices are pretty old. Republicans might just win the presidency again in 2008 if the public is asked to chose whether global warming or terrorism is the greatest threat (as one mid-day talk show host said today).

And, what do you think will happen if fervently pro-abortion Illinois-based Personal PAC decides to get involved in South Dakota’s legislative races? Close to a half a dozen pro-abortion legislators got defeated in primary elections.

S.D. state reps spend maybe $6,000 in a campaign. Personal PAC spent oodles more defending one of its Illinois champions, Barrington Hills Republican State Rep. Mark Beaubien.

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