South Dakota Supreme Court

The South Dakota Supreme Court has revived a lawsuit from the Life Defense Fund, an anti-abortion group, challenging the validity of a proposed abortion rights amendment (Amendment G) slated for the November ballot. The Supreme Court reversed a lower court's dismissal, stating that the circuit court erred in its ruling, which had questioned the lawsuit's target. Life Defense Fund alleges that Dakotans for Health, the group behind the amendment, did not comply with state laws regarding petition circulation. Despite this victory, the Supreme Court denied the anti-abortion group’s request for a new judge and to expedite proceedings. If passed, Amendment G would enshrine the right to abortion in South Dakota's constitution, a significant shift in a state with stringent abortion laws.