SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Dakotans for Health announced on Thursday that it had filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought against it by the Life Defense Fund and Leslie Unruh.
The lawsuit seeks to remove a proposed amendment to legalize abortion from the ballot and alleges Dakotans for Health broke election laws when gathering signatures.
You can read the full statement from Dakotans for Health co-founder Rick Weiland below:
“South Dakota has a proud tradition of empowering its citizens with the right to legislate and amend our constitution directly through ballot initiatives. This tradition reflects the profound distrust of elected politicians and affirms the people’s power to make critical decisions. The lawsuit filed by the Life Defense Fund is a direct attack on this cherished right.
Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court in the Dobbs decision, states across the nation, including Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio, have voted on constitutional amendments related to abortion, with the side favoring access to abortion winning every time. This lawsuit aims to prevent the people of South Dakota from having their say on this crucial issue.
Dakotans for Health worked diligently to ensure that South Dakotans can vote on the Roe v. Wade initiative. Despite numerous attempts by the Life Defense Fund to obstruct and mislead, we collected over 54,000 signatures, 56% more than the 35,017 required for ballot qualification. Our validation rate of 85% is the highest of any initiative petition in South Dakota since at least 2018. Our reproductive freedom ballot measure has met all the required criteria and has been approved by the South Dakota Secretary of State for placement on the November ballot where the people will decide, not the politicians.
The Life Defense Fund’s tactics have included harassment, misinformation, and even fraudulent claims, as noted by the Secretary of State’s office. Yet, these efforts have not swayed the resolve of the people. Only 13 people submitted valid withdrawal forms from the 54,000 signatures submitted, and not a single one of them were part of the random sample of signatures validated by the Secretary of State.
Our motion to dismiss this meritless lawsuit is based on solid legal grounds, and we are confident that the court will uphold the people’s right to vote.”