South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed an executive order on Tuesday that bans the prescription of abortion pills through telemedicine — a move that comes days after she proposed tightening abortion restrictions in her state following the Supreme Court’s decision allowing Texas’ ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy to stand.
Noem’s order states that abortion pills can only be prescribed or dispensed by a physician licensed in the state, which requires an in-person examination beforehand. The order also dictates that courier, delivery, telemedicine and mail services are banned from providing drugs that induce abortions.
Noem says she will work with lawmakers on legislation that would make the policies in her order permanent.
Currently, abortions can’t be performed on women in South Dakota past 22 weeks of gestation. State law allows abortions to be performed by a physician during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. After the 12-week mark, abortions are limited to specific settings such as a licensed hospital or in the physician’s licensed medical clinic or office through 22 weeks of pregnancy.
Hours after the Supreme Court’s ruling allowed Texas’ anti-abortion to stand, Noem proposed tightening restrictions in her own state by directing her office’s unborn-child advocate to review the state’s abortion laws.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision to leave the pro-life TX law in place, I have directed the Unborn Child Advocate in my office to immediately review the new TX law and current South Dakota laws to make sure we have the strongest pro life laws on the books in SD.
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) September 2, 2021
Noem’s proposed tightening of abortion restrictions in her state was issued as copycat bills of the Texas anti-abortion law began emerging in other states such as Florida and Arkansas.
