South Dakota Extends Abortion Wait Period for Weekends, Holidays
The South Dakota Senate on Thursday passed a bill affecting abortion waiting times that could potentially make them the longest in the country.
The bill, passed by a 24-9 vote in the Republican-controlled Senate, would exclude weekends and holidays from the calculation of a 72-hour waiting period for an abortion.
The bill was passed by the state House last week. It will go to Governor Dennis Daugaard, a Republican, next week, his spokesman, Tony Venhuizen, said.
Venhuizen said he could not say if the governor would sign the bill. He said Daugaard has been supportive of the “concept” of the longer waiting period and had supported the 72-hour waiting period previously put into law.
If it becomes law, the bill could potentially extend a waiting period to six days if a woman requested an abortion just before a three-day weekend. Utah also has a 72-hour waiting period.
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