Weiland: Poll shows strong support for Freedom Amendment to restore abortion rights in South Dakota
A recent poll shows strong support for Constitutional Amendment G, which seeks to reverse South Dakota's abortion ban.
Now we understand why the politicians are fighting so hard to keep abortion rights off the ballot. This poll shows that if abortion rights are on the ballot (its petition signing presence around the state is illustrated by the photo above, from the Dakotans For Health Facebook page), the people will give women back their rights. Women will be able to make their own decisions and politicians will have to stop telling them how to live their lives. That’s why the right-to-life politicians are willing to do anything, legal or not, fair or not, truthful or not, to keep the people from getting to decide.
A Mason-Dixon survey co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota reveals that 53% of respondents support Constitutional Amendment G, with only 35% opposed and 11% undecided. This nearly 20-point lead indicates a significant shift in public opinion since a similar poll conducted in November 2023.
I really believe that more people are tuning in to this. South Dakota is operating under one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country, and there’s been a backlash. People want common-sense reproductive health care options in a state where that freedom has been taken away.
The poll also highlighted bipartisan support for the amendment, with 46% of Republicans in favor, 41% opposed, and 14% undecided. This growing support reflects a broader national trend of progressive movements gaining ground on abortion rights through the initiative process.
Despite the clear support, opponents of the amendment, such as the co-founders of the Life Defense Fund, continue to spread misinformation. They claim that the amendment would approve late-term abortions and eliminate physical health protections for mothers — claims I categorically reject as scare tactics.
“The proposed amendment is very closely aligned with the original Roe v. Wade framework,” said Hannah Haksgaard, a professor at the USD School of Law. “The language mimics the trimester framework of Roe v. Wade and nothing in this amendment indicates any abortion rights more extreme than that.”
It’s important to emphasize the importance of this issue in the upcoming 2024 elections, noting that the stakes have been raised for South Dakota women due to the presidential election and ongoing Supreme Court cases affecting reproductive health care.
This is a state that prides itself on touting its freedom and that people should come here to enjoy those freedoms. When it comes to being a woman, though, they’ve had 50 years of reproductive health care freedom taken away from them, and I think that resonates with the majority of people.
As the campaign progresses, Dakotans for Health will continue to advocate for the amendment and educate voters on the facts, ensuring that every South Dakotan has the opportunity to make an informed decision come November.
Dakotans for Health is a grassroots organization focused on healthcare 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.
Rick Weiland is the co-founder of Dakotans for Health and sponsor of the Restore Roe citizen-initiated amendment to the South Dakota state constitution.
