The batshit insane abortion ban, HB1215, passed by the South Dakota legislature in March (and gleefully hailed by sexist asshat and South Dakota State Senator Bill Napoli) has hit a much-welcome roadblock as the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families last week filed 38,416 signatures opposing the ban.

Thanks to the hard work of 1,200 volunteers in 138 different cities and towns -- in nine weeks time -- we filed petitions with the names of more than 38,000 South Dakotans who are calling for the repeal of the extreme abortion legislation enacted by the South Dakota legislature and signed into law by Governor Mike Rounds on March 6.

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"This abortion ban was pushed by radical groups who want our state to be the center of the national legal battle waged in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade," said Jan Nicolay, Co-Chair of the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families. "Defending this extreme law, that is clearly unconstitutional, could cost the taxpayers of South Dakota millions of dollars and drag the good people of South Dakota into the center of the national abortion debate," Nicolay continued.

"While the South Dakota legislature refused to let voters have their say on this important issue, we will offer them that chance," said Dr. Maria Bell, the official sponsor of the petition drive. "We are so proud and humbled today, to announce that 38,416 South Dakota voters have signed the petitions and are calling for the repeal of this extreme ban on abortions," Bell continued.

The ban, which was signed March 6, and scheduled to go into effect on July 1, will now be postponed until the results of the November elections are in.

We honestly have no idea what the outcome of this vote is likely to be, and we know that civil libertarians in South Dakota have a long road ahead to secure voter support for repealing the ban, but at least there's still a chance that this dangerous, reprehensible law will be justifiably shitcanned, and that it won't be the legislation that challenges Roe v. Wade under the new Supreme Court. Of course, there will be other such laws (though even Mississippi failed to pass a similar law), but we'll take it one small victory at a time.

Very cool! The overturn has a chance. Let's hope they make it.