The group hoping to place abortion rights into the state constitution is being outraised and outspent by anti-abortion groups by over five to one.
That’s according to state campaign finance filings that were due this week.
Just two donations to one group formed to oppose the abortion rights ballot question top what Dakotans For Health raised in the last five months.
The Knight of Columbus, a Catholic charity organization headquartered in Connecticut, and the South Dakota Catholic Chancery Office each submitted large donations to a just over month-old ballot question committee to the total tune of $340,000. That committee is called No G for SD. Officials with the group did not return requests for comment.
Life Defense Fund brought in nearly $588,000 and has spent over three fourths of that money on its 'vote no' campaign.
Caroline Woods is a spokesperson for Life Defense Fund—another one of the groups opposing Amendment G. She said the group is thankful for the support from South Dakotans.
“The people who’ve contributed to this effort tin South Dakota come from all walks of life and have a wide range of political views—giving from small donations to large and we’re very thankful for that," Woods said. "There’s just been a broad coalition to stop G and we’re seeing that in our campaign finance report.”
The other group, No G for SD, raise just over $1 million dollars. The group, which formed in September, has already spent over 90 percent of their campaign cash.
Meanwhile, Dakotans for Health—the group backing Constitutional Amendment G—has raised just under $300,000 and spent about 80 percent of the cash raised.
Rick Weiland, the founder of the group, said the group is feeling confident about their position.
“There’s a lot that’s going to happen in the next two weeks," Weiland said. "We’re hoping we have the resources to bring it home and get it across the goal line.”
A recent poll shows 50 percent of South Dakota registered voters say they support amendment G, while 47 percent say they plan to vote no. Three percent are undecided.
Constitutional Amendment G grants abortion rights in the first trimester of pregnancy, allows the state to regulate the procedure in the second and allows for a ban in the third—with exceptions for life and health of the pregnant woman.
South Dakota has a near total abortion ban that went into effect in June 2022. That's despite state voters twice rejecting near total bans in 2006 and 2008.
Early voting is already underway. Election day is November 5.
