By Dave Andrusko
On Wednesday, veteran pro-abortion U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier granted Planned Parenthood a temporary restraining order against a pro-life law scheduled to take effect today. The law would codify a recent executive order issued by South Dakota’s governor that requires that women take the abortion pill only at a licensed abortion facility.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem initiated the rules change in September ahead of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to permanently remove a requirement that women pick abortion pills up in person. “Gov. Noem is focused on protecting women’s health,” said Ian Fury, the governor’s communications director. “The ACLU and Planned Parenthood have shown that they are more worried about their bottom line.”
“Noem’s administration argued the extra visit is necessary to make sure women don’t have complications from the drug,” the Associated Press reported.
Planned Parenthood has demonstrated that the rule ‘likely’ imposes an undue burden on a person’s right to seek an abortion in South Dakota,” wrote Judge Schreier in her ruling. “The balance of the harms is in Planned Parenthood’s favor.”
Judge Schreier “concluded that Planned Parenthood and its patients will face irreparable harm if the temporary restraining order is not granted,” Levi Lass of Court House News reported.
In 2021, Gov. Noem signed eight pro-life bills into law. This session she is advancing a bill that is patterned on the Texas Heartbeat Law (S.B.8.) which protects unborn children whose hearts have begun to beat, usually at about 6 weeks of pregnancy.