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.
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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
The 10-year-old girl who was denied an abortion in Ohio traveled to Indiana for the procedure, according to the Indianapolis Star. No state has yet to try and institute a ban against traveling from one state that has cracked down on abortions to undergo the procedure in another, according to Politifact.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh said in a concurring opinion in the landmark ruling on abortion last month that the constitutional right to interstate travel, in his view, prevents a state from barring one of its residents from traveling to another state to get an abortion. However, in Missouri, lawmakers have already put forward a proposal that would allow private citizens to sue anyone who helps a Missouri resident have an abortion out of state.
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Noem emphasized there needs to be more action to address “sick individuals” who would rape a child. As for the story of the 10-year-old girl in Ohio, Noem noted she is a mother. “That story will keep me up at night,” she said.
