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PIERRE, S.D., May 4, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- South Dakota's tough new abortion law has created problems for the state's dominant Republican Party, Stateline.org reported.
The governor's office, all 35 state Senate seats and 70 House seats are in play in this year's elections, and a majority of South Dakotans oppose the law, which only allows abortion to save the life of a mother.
Some Republicans who voted for the law are facing primary challenges from other Republicans, Stateline.org reported -- and Republican Gov. Mike Rounds has lost 20 points on his approval rating since signing the bill.
Planned Parenthood is ready to file suit in federal court to overturn the law, and the tribal president of the Oglala Sioux Indian Nation in South Dakota -- territory that would be immune from the state law -- has vowed to build an abortion clinic in his territory that would be open to all the state's women.
Jan Nicolay -- a former Republican lawmaker and spokeswoman for the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families -- wants the law overturned and is working to gather the 16,728 signatures required to put the issue on the ballot.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
