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Sen. Johnson urges voters to reject HB1215
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FarkPIERRE (AP) -- The campaign against a proposed law that would make most abortions illegal in South Dakota has gained a well-known politician as a spokesman against the measure.
U.S. Senator Tim Johnson, D-S.D., has taped an automated telephone message that urges voters to reject the legislation.
South Dakota's senior senator said the proposed ban on most abortions should be dumped because it contains no exceptions for women who have been victims of rape or incest.
Those who support the measure say very few of those women actually get pregnant, and those who worry about pregnancy would not be barred from getting emergency contraceptives.
South Dakotans who go to the polls on Nov. 7 will decide the fate of the proposed abortion ban.
Opponents of the legislation mounted a petition campaign to get the issue on the ballot. The successful drive blocked enactment of the measure on July 1, the date when most new state laws go on the books.
In a call with reporters Wednesday, Johnson said, "We need a little more common sense in how we approach these issues."
He said the ban is poor policy and "is not going to meet constitutional muster."
"Those decisions ought to be made by the woman and her family and her God rather than by politicians in Washington," Johnson said.
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