South Dakota anti-abortion group appeals ruling that dismissed its lawsuit over ballot initiative

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — An anti-abortion group in South Dakota is appealing a judge’s dismissal of its lawsuit to remove an abortion rights initiative from the November ballot. Life Defense Fund filed an appeal Wednesday, asking for an expedited order from the court as the November election nears. In May, Dakotans for Health submitted tens of thousands of petition signatures for its measure, which Secretary of State Monae Johnson’s office validated for the November election. Since the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022, voters in the seven states where abortion rights have been on the ballot have approved such measures. Voters in other states will weigh in on similar measures this year, too.