South Dakota Senate committee kills abortion ban bill

(AP) - A South Dakota Senate committee, by an 8-1 vote, killed a bill Wednesday that would have banned most abortions in South Dakota.

Opponents argued that the measure is unconstitutional and unlikely to even be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Only Sen. Gene Abdallah of Sioux Falls voted in favor of the legislation in the Senate State Affairs Committee. He says the issue is so sensitive that it will not go away.

But state Sen. Brock Greenfield of Clark testified the timing is not right because of the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Greenfield, state director of South Dakota Right to Life, says many U.S. senators favor abortion rights and are not likely to approve any federal judges or justices that oppose abortion.

After the defeat, a sponsor said he would try to have the full Senate consider the bill despite the committee's rejection. But state Sen. Royal "Mac" McCracken of Rapid City says he does not think there are enough votes in the Senate to take up the bill.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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