Progressive Democrat Issue 71: NATIONAL ACTION II: From the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families:

Almost immediately after Bush’s two Supreme Court nominees were approved, the final assault on a woman’s right to choice began. And South Dakota was where the right wing chose to start, though many other states are poised to follow. South Dakota is the front line in the battle for women’s rights right now. This is something that needs to be a major focus of our attention.

On March 6 of this year, South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds signed into law the most restrictive abortion ban in the nation – a total ban on abortions. Women will no longer be in control of their reproductive choices. The law is so extreme that even women who are victims of rape and incest will have no options available to them. Women whose health is in danger will no longer be able to make their own health care decisions. Doctors will go to jail. And South Dakota will spend millions in court battles for years to come.

The new South Dakota law is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2006 unless nearly 17,000 signatures are gathered to refer it to the November ballot when voters would decide its’ fate.

As a result of the passage of this extreme new law, a coalition of leaders has formed the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families to refer it to voters in November and to campaign for the repeal of the abortion ban. A petition drive to refer the law began on March 24.

The Healthy Families Campaign is the umbrella group for the campaign. It is co-chaired by 16 prominent South Dakota leaders from all corners of the state, from both political parties, young and old, ministers, doctors, nurses, the leader of the largest Native American tribe and two students. Many groups have endorsed this effort and are working with the Healthy Families Campaign. They include Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Focus South Dakota, Democracy in Action, The Mainstream Coalition, the ACLU, Grassroots South Dakota, South Dakota Advocacy Network for Women, the National Women’s Political Caucus, Native American Women Health & Education Resource Center, Pastors for Moral Choices, Republican Majority for Choice and many other groups and individuals.

The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families is organized as a South Dakota Ballot Committee and is registered with the South Dakota Secretary of State and the IRS. The Ballot Committee can accept unlimited contributions from individuals, foundations, corporations or any source. Contributions are reported to the Secretary of State and the IRS.

Those of us who live in the rest of the US can help in the following ways:

What Can You Do? – Adopt our Cause: Create awareness and activism all over the country.

Step 1: Email everyone in your contact list.

· Direct them to our website, www.sdhealthyfamiles.org.

· Tell them about the extreme nature of the South Dakota law and how it will hurt women and tear apart families.

· Ask them to contact any friends or family members in South Dakota and express concerns about this law and to vote to repeal it in November.

· Ask them to make a small donation on the website.

· Ask them to contact everyone in their contact list to help raise awareness.


Step 2: Host a House Party to Benefit South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families

· Invite your friends to attend a small house party to raise awareness, create activism and raise small contributions for the South Dakota effort. Small donations of $10 – or whatever size donation – are very helpful. This will be a very expensive campaign where we need to match/exceed our opposition who we expect to spend upwards of $10 million to keep their extreme law on the books.

· Let’s have house parties in every state, in big cities and small towns and build a list of national activists committed to taking back our country from the zealots on the far right.

· At the party, have our website live on your home computer and ask each person to sign up to support our campaign. They can contribute on-line or send us a check.


Step 3: Organize a Rally – Not a Boycott!

· Organize a rally in your community to show support for the women and families in South Dakota and to raise awareness and create activism locally. Work with other pro-choice activists in your area to build a crowd. Notify the press to get them to promote your rally in advance. Have a sign-making party to have lots of homemade signs with messages in support of the women and families of South Dakota. Invite prominent speakers who will help deliver our message in a clear, concise and responsible way.

· Don’t boycott South Dakota. Boycotts will only send a negative message to the people of South Dakota and allow our opponents to use it against us.


Step 4: Organize a Small Fundraising Drive

· Get 10 friends to make contributions by check or on our website.

· Ask to have an announcement made at pro-choice or other progressive gatherings and pass the hat to collect contributions.

· Get an important leader in your community to ask their contacts to give to our effort.

· Organize a bake sale.

I don’t necessarily agree with their dismissal of a boycott…but, I also feel that this battle will be won from WITHIN South Dakota, though with help from us.