South Dakota House Passes Bill Criminalizing Abortions.

"The South Dakota House has passed a bill saying that life begins at conception -- something that would outlaw abortions in the state. The vote in favor of House Bill 1191 wasn't even close. It passed 54-14. Backers said the bill is intended to prod the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortions nationwide.

"The Thomas More Law Center, a Michigan-based pro-life law firm, says it worked closely with state Rep. Matt McCaulley, the chief sponsor of HB 1191, helping him with the drafting and legal strategy of the bill."

My father's cousin is one-half of this firm's Board of Legal Review: Professor Charles Rice, Professor Emeritus, Notre Dame Law School and Visiting Professor, Ave Maria School of Law. I had contacted Charlie when I learned of his work at Thomas More last summer.

I am so proud to know Charlie and so thankful as well: I have been in much contact with him and his family in recent months. He was so very pivotal in helping my father accept and deal with the fact of my decades-old abortion, just this past Christmastime. Upon opening my letter to him last summer, Charlie immediately called me, and I do mean immediately. The first words out of his mouth were, "This is a grace from God, nothing less: that you are doing what you are doing with what happened. And I think your father would think so, as well." We discussed that at length, that I didn't think so since I'd not heard from him several months after writing him about the abortion. I thank God for Charlie Rice, personally and for everyone's sake.

The article goes on: "Democrats and Republicans joined together and passed [this] bill...The preamble to HB1191 says that based on the best scientific and medical evidence, life begins at fertilization and that South Dakota's Bill of Rights applies equally to born and unborn human beings....The legislation also notes that abortions pose risks to the health and life of pregnant women, including the risk of suicide, depression and other post-traumatic disorders.

"The bill now goes to the South Dakota Senate, where support is said to be
strong. Should South Dakota's pro-life governor sign the bill, the new law would directly confront Roe v. Wade."

Amazing and hopeful, given other recent bills flying around, as discussed here earlier today.