AROUND THE EDGES

Gov. Kristi Noem Wants to Stop Women From Getting Abortions Because of Down Syndrome

If enacted, South Dakota would be the sixth state to have a “reason ban” targeting genetic fetal abnormality.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem introduced a bill on Monday that would prevent women in the state from getting an abortion because the fetus was found to have Down syndrome. According to the Guttmacher Institute, five other states have enacted such bans, and litigation has resulted in clashing opinions from federal appeals courts. Proponents of so-called reason bans say the goal is to prohibit eugenics, but abortion rights advocates say they’re just another way for conservative states to chip away at women’s right to choose. In her press release, Noem made clear she doesn’t take a narrow view. “The Declaration of Independence summarizes what we all know in our hearts to be true: God created each of us and endowed all of us with the right to life. This is true for everyone, including those with an extra chromosome,” she wrote, adding that she wants the Supreme Court to declare that “all preborn children inherently possess this right to life, too.”