Split by Abortion

Split by Abortion: The Front Lines of the Religious War in God's Own Country - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News By Frank Hornig : "South Dakota has passed the most restrictive abortion law in the United States. But much more is at stake. The rural state has become only the most recent front line in an ongoing religious war in the US."

The climate began to deteriorate in South Dakota sometime in the mid-1990s, says Underberg. The churches, led by the Catholic Church, began politicizing the abortion issue and endorsing candidates who were willing to oppose abortion. Apparently the strategy worked. South Dakota's state legislature ratified the new law with a majority of 50 to 18 votes.