Pierre, S.D. (Nov. 11, 2022) – Dakotans for Health saw a major victory in a state dominated by Republicans with the passage of the South Dakota ObamaCare Medicaid expansion ballot measure they campaigned for last week. But before the elections were even over, dozens of these fringe Democrats met in Sioux Falls to begin circulating petitions to make abortion a right, in an effort to overturn the near total abortion-ban in the conservative state.

In response, a group of Republican lawmakers known as the South Dakota Freedom Caucus recently publicly admonished the Republican party for not opposing the Obamacare measure, and in a public statement issued today, are demanding the party “oppose the efforts to legalize the killing of our unborn children,” said Freedom Caucus Vice Chair Representative Tony Randolph.

Freedom Caucus members have indicated that they are disappointed with the Republican party in not supporting the values and principles within the party platform, nor holding its members accountable to it.

“We say we’re against socialized medicine, we say we’re pro-life,” said Freedom Caucus Secretary/Treasurer Representative Tina Mulally, “but as seen with the expansion of ObamaCare in South Dakota, the Republican party was just all talk.” Now Mulally says with lives on the line, the Republican party must act.

Dakotans for Health were approved to begin circulating the initiated Constitutional Amendment petition on September 9, 2022, and will be required to collect 35,016 signatures of registered voters by November 5, 2023 to be placed on the ballot. The group has already begun collecting signatures.

However, one Republican is taking action, House Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Jon Hansen has formed the ballot question committee Life Defense Fund to oppose South Dakota abortion legalization, and the Freedom Caucus says they are fully supporting Hansen and the group’s efforts to preserve life.

The South Dakota Republican party or its Chairman, former State Senator Dan Lederman, have not publicly commented on the measure or whether they will be opposing the measure.

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