Dakotans for Health applauds U.S. Supreme Court decision advancing women's rights, urges passage of Amendment G

I applaud the unanimous decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that for now protects women’s access to mifepristone, a critical early-term abortion medication. This decision is a temporary but important step forward for reproductive rights and health care access.

Today’s decision reaffirms the importance of preserving women’s access to safe and effective health-care options. By rejecting attempts to restrict mifepristone, the Court has upheld the rights of millions of women across the country. It is a temporary victory but an important one for reproductive justice.

I want to express solidarity with women in South Dakota and other states facing total abortion bans.

It is deeply troubling that women in South Dakota and 13 other states are denied the freedom to choose mifepristone. Free men and women deserve the freedom to choose medications that have been extensively proven to be safe. Mifepristone is one of these.

I acknowledge the significance of the Supreme Court’s decision, but want to stress the ongoing importance of proactive measures to protect reproductive rights.

We cannot rely solely on court rulings to safeguard women’s access to health care. That’s why the people of South Dakota, not the politicians, are going to decide for themselves this November what kind of reproductive freedom they want. South Dakota’s current abortion ban is too radical — no exceptions for rape, incest or dangerous problem pregnancies. Our Freedom Amendment would simply restore the rights women had for 50 years under Roe v. Wade.

The initiated amendment, sponsored by Dakotans for Health, aims to ensure that women in South Dakota retain the right to make decisions about their own bodies and health care. I urge voters to support the measure (successfully placed on this November’s ballot following its petition drive, shown above in an image from the Dakotans For Health Facebook page) and defend women’s reproductive rights and access to early-term medications like mifepristone.

We must continue to advocate for policies that prioritize healthcare access and reproductive justice for all. Together, we can create a future where every individual has the freedom to make informed choices about their health and well-being.

Dakotans for Health is a grassroots organization focused on health care and protecting the democratic process. The organization was instrumental in the successful 2022 campaign to expand Medicaid coverage to 52,000 low-income South Dakotans. Dakotans for Health is dedicated to ensuring all South Dakotans have access to the care they need, no matter who they are, what they look like, or how much money they have. In May, Dakotans for Health submitted a record number of signatures for its ballot measures, Amendment G to restore reproductive rights, and IM 28 to repeal the state’s regressive tax on groceries.

Rick Weiland is the co-founder of Dakotans for Health and sponsor of the Restore Roe citizen-initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution.