The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
March 23, 2011

South Dakota Enacts 72-Hour Wait for Abortions 
-----------------------------------------------



South Dakota has enacted a law establishing a 72-hour waiting period for
all abortions--by far the longest in the United States. Republican Gov.
Dennis Daugaard signed the measure into law on Tuesday following its
approval in the state legislature. The law also requires a woman to
undergo pre-abortion counseling to ensure her decision is "voluntary,
uncoerced, and informed." No other state has a mandatory abortion
waiting period more than 24 hours. Pro-choice groups have vowed to
appeal.



.