Kristi Noem: ‘Abortions Have Stopped in South Dakota’

In this Nov. 18, 2010 file photo, then-Rep.-elect Kristi Noem, R-S.D. speaks during a Repu
AP Photo/Harry Hamburg, File

Abortions “have stopped” in South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem (R) announced Thursday following news of an abortion clinic in the state performing its final abortion this week.

According to the New York Times, Planned Parenthood in Sioux Falls performed its final abortion this week, and with that, the state is now abortion-free.

“Abortions have stopped in South Dakota. We have prayed for this day, and now it is here,” Noem said on Thursday.

“Now, we must redouble our focus on taking care of mothers in crisis. Help is available for you. Adoption is an option. You are never alone,” she added:

The news follows Noem signing legislation earlier this year, restricting access to abortifacients. At the time, Noem made it clear that her administration would “continue to advance legislation that protects the lives of unborn children. She also said last month that she will “immediately call for a special session to save lives and guarantee that every unborn child has a right to life in South Dakota” if Roe v. Wade is indeed overturned:

However, Americans still await that decision following the leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion reportedly penned by Justice Samuel Alito, which stated that “it is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

South Dakota now joins Oklahoma as one of the only two states where women cannot get a legal abortion, according to the Times. Access is further limited in states such as Wisconsin, as the country awaits the Supreme Court’s decision.

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