South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed a first-of-its-kind “Med Ed” bill this week designed to combat abortion misinformation and provide guidance to healthcare workers in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.
The bill, HB 1224, was sponsored by state Reps. Taylor Rehfeldt, Jon Hansen, Oren Lesmeister, Sen. Erin Tobin, and 26 other lawmakers and establishes materials for medical professionals on the ability and necessity of providing emergency care to pregnant women under the state’s life at conception law, which bars abortion throughout pregnancy except to save the life of the mother.
HB 1224 will “require the creation of an informational video and other materials describing the state’s abortion law and medical care for a pregnant woman experiencing life-threatening or health-threatening medical conditions,” the legislation states. The materials will be created through the state’s Department of Health and will be made available as direct education for doctors.
RELATED: OB/GYNs: Overturning Roe Has No Impact on Treating Miscarriages, Ectopic Pregnancies
“The South Dakota Med Ed Bill is the first legislation of its kind drafted to end the confusion caused by the abortion lobby through direct education to doctors,” according to a press release from leading pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. “Other states have taken similar steps administratively, including Oklahoma and Kentucky attorneys general-issued advisory opinions.”
The bill passed “overwhelmingly” in both the state House and Senate, and the only group to speak against the legislation was the far-left, pro-abortion ACLU, the organization noted.
“Doctors don’t need legal explainers about the best course of treatment. They need to be able to do their jobs without political interference,” Samantha Chapman, ACLU of South Dakota advocacy manager, said, according to a press release. “A video is not and should never be a substitute for a doctor’s medical education, experience and relationship with their patient.”
“But in South Dakota, the lives of pregnant people experiencing life – and health-threatening conditions are at risk while hospital lawyers attempt to interpret the law into what kind of medical care doctors can provide for them,” she said. “Ultimately, House Bill 1224 does nothing to directly address the issue that is really risking the lives of pregnant patients: South Dakota’s abortion ban. Instead, House Bill 1224 gives anti-abortion activists a guise to appear to care about pregnant patients while actually passing legislation that further enshrines anti-abortion cruelty.”
RELATED: Decoding Democrat Joe Biden’s 2024 Abortion Playbook
Kelsey Pritchard, state public affairs director for SBA Pro-Life America, celebrated the bill’s passage as a victory for South Dakota moms.
“We thank Gov. Noem for making South Dakota the first state to protect women’s lives with a Med Ed law. Regardless of political affiliation or whether someone is pro-life or pro-choice, South Dakotans of all philosophies can celebrate that moms will be better protected through direct education to our doctors on their ability to exercise reasonable medical judgment in all situations,” Pritchard said.
“Though every state with a pro-life law allows pregnant women to receive emergency care, the abortion industry has sown confusion on this fact to justify their position of abortion without limits,” she continued. “With many in the media refusing to fact-check this obvious lie, other states should look to South Dakota in combatting dangerous abortion misinformation.”
At the same time, the Texas Medical Board is currently considering a request for clarification of the state’s “life of the mother” provision.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.