For Immediate Release
Drew Courtney or Miranda Blue at 202-467-4999 / media@pfaw.org
PFAW: Backlash Against SD Anti-Choice Bill Proves Voters Want Jobs, Not Attacks on Women
WASHINGTON - A proposed bill in South Dakota that would have classified murders of abortion doctors as “justifiable homicide” has been shelved after a national outcry, according to news reports. The bill, the latest in a series of attacks on women from state and federal lawmakers, drew outrage from pro-choice groups, including People For the American Way.
Michael Keegan, President of People For the American Way, said:
“Republican legislators in states across the country and the GOP majority in the U.S. House are trying to use their positions to wage a war on women. These lawmakers are trying get away with extreme and unjustifiable anti-choice bills that place huge burdens on women seeking reproductive health care while making it more and more difficult for doctors to provide care. The successful backlash against South Dakota’s abortion doctor murder bill sends a clear signal: they can’t get away with it.
“Republican candidates last year promised to create jobs and help the economy. Instead, they’ve focused on attacking American women. The outcry over the South Dakota legislature’s attempted extremism shows that jobs and the economy are still the priorities for voters—not irresponsible attacks on women’s health.”
People For the American Way is dedicated to making the promise of America real for every American: Equality. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. The right to seek justice in a court of law. The right to cast a vote that counts. The American Way. Our vision is a vibrantly diverse democratic society in which everyone is treated equally under the law, given the freedom and opportunity to pursue their dreams, and encouraged to participate in our nation’s civic and political life. Our America respects diversity, nurtures creativity and combats hatred and bigotry.