Equal Protection Bill Filed in South Dakota

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA — South Dakota State Representative Tony Randolph and South Dakota State Senator John Carley filed House Bill 1212 to abolish and criminalize abortion.

House Bill 1212 would establish equal protection of the laws for preborn babies, ensuring that the same laws already protecting born persons are applied to preborn persons as well. This is the first equal protection bill in state history and the strongest anti-abortion legislation ever filed in South Dakota.

While brick-and-mortar abortion facilities in South Dakota have closed, the murder of preborn babies on South Dakota soil continues through telehealth abortion, as well as self-managed abortion occurring outside of the medical system. Pro-Life regulations have loopholes keeping abortion legal for women, which have enabled abortion pills to continue flowing into the state.

Unlike other Pro-Life legislative proposals, House Bill 1212 would ensure that murdering anyone is illegal for everyone. The legislation would extend the existing homicide and wrongful death laws to protect preborn babies, treating them as the image-bearers of God they truly are, while removing sections of South Dakota law keeping abortion legal for women.

South Dakota lawmakers must honor God and fulfill their oaths of office by establishing equal protection of the laws for preborn babies. There is no other way to abolish abortion in the state.