This is pretty interesting stuff. A pro-choice Wisconsin group, Basic-Abortion-Rights Network of Waukesha, has filed paperwork that would put South Dakota’s sweeping abortion ban on the November ballot.
If the group collects 16,728 signatures by mid-June, the people of South Dakota will vote on the law.
Secretary of State Chris Nelson said in the Argus Leader that “there is no restriction in state law as to who can be a sponsor for a referendum.”
But Kate Looby, the director of South Dakota’s Planned Parenthood, says that the Wisconsin group may have jumped the gun: “Because the people in South Dakota who need to be making this important decision have not made the decision yet whether it should go on the ballot or go to court. I think this is not something that can or should come from people outside South Dakota.”
Um...ok. Is this really the time to get all territorial? Seems to me that we should be doing all we can--it’s goddamn crunch time.
UPDATE: Fred Vincy at Stone Court thinks something is amiss.
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Didn't I read that there are financial sponsors from out-of-state in case of court costs? Blows that "out of state" argument out of the water, in that case.
I think SD's concern may come from a fear of losing the public referendum. The Wisconsin group shouldn't have made the move without agreement from the local groups, who know their state and the local politics better, and I assume would be responsible for on-the-ground work to mobilize South Dakotans. There is also a gay marriage ban on the ballot this time around, which may bring out tons of SD conservatives. I'm from Montana, a neighboring state, with a different political enviro, but I think choice groups here would be concerned if something similar were to happen and they weren't consulted.
Nice work, Wisconsin! But doesn't the Basic Abortion-Rights Network have some issues to tackle at home? NARAL gave Wisconsin an F grade on its 2006 reproductive rights report card. And the state still has its pre-Roe abortion ban on the books (even though it's unconstitutional and unenforceable).
as one of those sd women whose medical decisions are no longer just between my doctor and i- i don't think that this had anything to do with turf. we're not idiots- those of us who have been working against this have known this was coming since the last legislature. for this wisconsin group to swoop in and take care of it for us- that ridiculous. all they did was give the other side the opportunity to have soundbites talking about out of state interests telling us what to do. the wisconsin people did more harm than good. we're here, we're organizing, we don't need failing grade states to tell us what to do. we were going to refer it- they could have called. they knew who was working on this. kate looby's name is all over the place. we don't need anyone telling us what to do-we know.
thanks for keeping us in the conversation and count your blessings... we were first- but they're coming for you, too.. Organize- organize- organize...