Press Releases

As the leading civil rights organization in our state, the ACLU of South Dakota believes in keeping the public informed about the state of their civil liberties. The work we do at the legislature, in the courts, and in our communities is important, but there is no better defender of civil rights than a public that is informed and engaged. For media inquiries, email [email protected].

HB 1257 Threatens Obstetrics Care Under Guise of Clarifying Abortion Law; ACLU Comments

“Medical emergency” exceptions to abortion laws are often narrow, vague and insufficient to protect pregnant people in life-threatening situations.
Issue Areas: Reproductive Freedom

House Committee Prioritizes Anti-Abortion Propaganda Over Facts; ACLU Comments

Putting misinformation in our children's curriculum to push an ideological agenda only hurts students.
Issue Areas: Reproductive Freedom

ACLU of South Dakota Urges House Committee to Prioritize Civil Liberties when Considering Health Care Policy

Bills highlight the importance of ensuring health care policy aligns with civil liberties.
Issue Areas: Reproductive Freedom

HB 1257 Threatens Contraception and IVF Under the Guise of Clarifying Abortion Law; ACLU Comments

By using specific language to define an “unborn child," House Bill 1257 could create a legal domino effect that triggers broader restrictions on hormonal contraception, emergency contraception and in vitro fertilization.
Issue Areas: Reproductive Freedom

ACLU of South Dakota Opposes Bill to Criminalize People for Receiving Abortion Care

By introducing House Bill 1212, anti-abortion lawmakers are once again playing politics with our health care.
Issue Areas: Reproductive Freedom

ACLU of South Dakota Condemns Politically Motivated Investigation of Abortion Ads

Gov. Larry Rhoden’s request for an investigation into an advertising campaign educating people about the safety and effectiveness of abortion pills is a politically motivated attack on free speech.

Video Explaining South Dakota’s Abortion Law Won’t Help Doctors, Patients

House Bill 1224 does nothing to directly address the issue that is really risking the lives of pregnant patients: South Dakota's abortion ban.
Issue Areas: Reproductive Freedom

Senate Committee Opposes Freedom and Bodily Autonomy by Rejecting Bill to Repeal Abortion Laws

Senate Bill 210 would have repealed more than 45 pages of South Dakota law restricting abortion care in the state, including the “trigger law” that was enacted after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and made abortion a criminal act in the state.
Issue Areas: Reproductive Freedom

ACLU of South Dakota Announces 2024 Legislative Priorities

The ACLU’s educational, organizing and lobbying efforts will be focused primarily on voting rights, free speech and expression, LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit equality, Indigenous sovereignty and justice, and bodily autonomy and abortion rights.