Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) held firm when pressed to consider a recent “tragedy” involving child rape while conversing about the hot-button issue of abortion access.
South Dakota is one of 13 states with a “trigger” law designed to go into effect once the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which came to fruition last month. The state’s ban, which was signed into law in 2005, prohibits all abortions except to save the life of the mother.
Focusing on there not being an exception for rape, CNN’s Dana Bash asked Noem on Sunday to “be clear” as to whether South Dakota would “force” the same 10-year-old girl who was recently denied an abortion in Ohio to have a baby.
After some back-and-forth, Noem stood by her state’s position. “I don’t believe a tragic situation should be perpetuated by another tragedy, and so there’s more that we’ve got to do to make sure that we really are living a life that says, ‘Every life is precious.’ Especially innocent lives that have been shattered like that 10-year-old girl,” she said.
Dana Bash: Will the state of South Dakota going forward force a 10-year-old in that very same situation to have a baby?
Kristi Noem: In South Dakota, the law today is that abortions are illegal except to save the life of the mother.
[that's a yes] pic.twitter.com/QSZHGoy5TM
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 3, 2022
via joemiller