September 11, 2008 AD WATCH: VOTEYESFORLIFE.COM

Rhetoric: “The last time South Dakota voted on reducing abortions, they said they would prefer a measure with exceptions.”

Reality: In 2006, South Dakotans rejected an abortion by a large margin – 56 to 44. They rejected Government interference into what is a very difficult personal decision that should be left between a woman, her family, God and whoever else she trusts to include.

Claim: “This year, Initiated Measure 11 was written by South Dakotas for South Dakotans.”

Reality: To our knowledge, VoteYesForLife has not disclosed a comprehensive list of those involved in drafting the new abortion ban. One of the individuals we know was involved is Harold Cassidy, a New Jersey trial lawyer. In October 2007, Cassidy and fellow East Coast lawyer Samuel Casey produced a memo defending the manner in which the law was written to national abortion ban activist groups. Earlier this year, VoteYesForLife produced a video featuring Cassidy, pleading with the people of South Dakota to pass the abortion ban prompting a national court challenge. Copies of both the memo and video are available upon request.

The notion that the bill was written “for South Dakotans” is also curious. Leslee Unruh herself admitted as recently as August 15th that the bill was designed to prompt a federal legal challenge to further her national political agenda.

Claim: “Measure 11 includes exceptions for cases of rape, incest and to save the health and life of the mother.”

Reality: That statement is too simple to describe a complicated piece of legislation that is over 2,400 words long.

The ban includes no exception for fatal fetal anomaly – it would force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term even if the fetus would not be able to survive after delivery.

One of the ban’s authors, New Jersey lawyer Harold Cassidy, has stated that their intention if the abortion ban passes is to later remove all “exceptions” for rape, incest and health.

Measure 11’s vagueness recklessly endangers women’s health. By threatening doctors with a felony and jail time, the abortion ban would have a chilling effect on a doctor’s ability to exercise proper medical judgment and protect the health of his or her patients, rendering the health "exception" meaningless.

Claim: “Measure 11 is reasonable. Measure 11 will reduce abortion from being used as birth control. And will prevent 97% of abortions in South Dakota from ever occurring.”

Reality: Measure 11 is a sweeping ban on abortion in South Dakota. This law requires Government to interfere in the most difficult, personal decision that women and families make. Banning abortion has serious consequences and Measure 11 is a poorly crafted law. ;Additionally, South Dakota already enforces the most burdensome regulations on abortion and one of America's lowest abortion rates.