For many years, abortion has been a topic of discussion amongst lawmakers in Pierre. In most instances, similar bills put the Pro-Life and Pro-Choice legislators against each other. This new abortion bill didn’t follow the same trend.
The House Health and Human Service committee defeated House Bill 1240 on Thursday. This bill creates penalties for mothers and doctors who perform abortions for the sole reason of the unborn child having Down Syndrome. Doctors could be punished with a class one misdemeanor and the mothers could face fines for any damages made by their decision. Democratic State Representative Karen Soli says this isn’t a good bill and she gives an example as to why.
"The only thing that could happen here is somebody who needs an abortion because her life is in danger, and then it happens that this fetus has Down syndrome. That doctor is going to be suable, it doesn’t make sense," Representative Soli says.
Supporters of this bill say a person shouldn’t be able to abort their child just because it has Down Syndrome. The House Health and Human Service committee defeated this bill 8 to 4.
