The Three Musketeers-- & One Sidekick



By: Dale Bartscher, SDRTL Associate Director

The term Musketeer refers to loyal, daring friends. As I lobby for “LIFE” and SD Right to Life during this 101st Legislative Session I am proud to do so alongside three of our Board’s Members (left to right): Representative Al Novstrup (Aberdeen), Representative and Speaker of the House Jon Hansen (Dell Rapids) and Representative Leslie Heinemann (Flandreau). All three hold a 2-Year 100% SDRTL Score (’25 - ’26).  

We are currently in WEEK EIGHT of the nine-week South Dakota Legislative Session and we still have THREE BILLS working their way through the process and hopefully onto the Governor’s Desk:

House Bill 1257 - Definition of Abortion Bill: ”An Act to Amend the Definition of an Abortion.”  This Bill adds additional clarity to our pro-life laws, specifically explaining that miscarriage treatment and ectopic pregnancies do not count as “abortions” under South Dakota law. Our laws already provided for these and other treatments, but in light of the misinformation we have seen in recent years the decision was made to specifically explain that these treatments are not abortions and are allowed under South Dakota law.

HB 1257 did PASS on both the House (60 to 6) and Senate (31 to 2) Floors and will now head to the Governor's Desk for his anticipated signature. 

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House Bill 1313 - Fetal Development Classroom Video Bill:  ”An Act to require the inclusion of a human fetal development video in any course that addresses human growth, development, or sexuality.”  This Bill requires education, in the form of an at least a 3-minute video, on prenatal human growth and development in South Dakota's public schools. This measure promises to help students gain an appreciation for the dignity of unborn human life, and think with greater clarity on ethical issues at the beginning of life. 

HB 1313 did PASS on both the House (52 to 10) and Senate (31 to 3) Floors and will now head to the Governor's Desk for his anticipated signature.

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House Bill 1274 - Chemical Abortion Pill Bill:  ”An Act to prohibit the dispensing, distribution, sale, or advertisement of certain articles or things for purposes of an unlawful abortion and provide a criminal and civil penalty therefore.”  This Bill gives the Attorney General additional tools to prosecute the companies that are mailing or trafficking the abortion pills into the state. These pills end the life of an unborn baby, and have a 22x higher complication rate than the industry had previously claimed.  CLICK HERE and scroll down to learn more about the health dangers to women. 

 HB 1274 did PASS on the House Floor (61 to 5) and it will now be heard in the Senate State Affairs Committee today, Wednesday, March 4.

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Keep up with the legislative agenda of SD Right to Life by visiting our Legislative Radar Page.  Friends, "Thank you for standing with us and praying for us as together we advocate and legislate for LIFE.” 

The first Safe Haven Baby Box in South Dakota is now open at Station 1 in the heart of Rapid City. Nearly 100 supporters gathered for the dedication ceremony to mark the installation of the state’s first “infant safety device” — a temperature-controlled, bassinet-style unit equipped with a high-tech, dual alarm system designed to ensure a rapid response. The box was dedicated to baby Gabriel Doe, the deceased infant found on August 6th, 2024, at Millennium Recycling in Sioux Falls.

Monica Kelsey, Founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, shared her personal story during the event. Abandoned as a newborn by her mother, who was 17 at the time, Kelsey said her experience inspired her to establish the first baby box in her home state of Indiana and eventually expand the initiative nationwide. Today, more than 400 Safe Haven Baby Boxes are installed across the United States.

Additional boxes are being planned for other communities throughout South Dakota, including college towns and reservation areas, as part of a broader effort to increase access to safe and anonymous surrender options.

Click below to watch our Baby Box feature on Kota Territory News.

March 3, 2026

By Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., NRL Director of Education & Research

Just a little bit over ten months ago, the Ethics & Public Policy Center (EPPC) released a study which really upset the dominant media narrative about the safety of the abortion pill. While the abortion industry had used a few limited studies to convince the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that serious complications were less than half a percent, EPPC looked at more than 865,000 insurance claims of actual mifepristone patients and determined that the serious adverse events rate was closer to 11%!

Abortion advocates attacked with a fury. They complained this wasn’t one of their carefully controlled clinical studies, ignoring the fact that EPPC offered documentable, real world patient data, not the industry’s hand-picked samples and spun data with its most problematic cases “lost to follow-up.”

That was last year. Now, the team at EPPC is back with new data. This makes it plain that the latest changes the FDA made to the mifepristone protocol from abortion industry data – eliminating a required in-person office visit, allowing these pills to be ordered online and mailed to a woman’s home without full screening or a physical exam – didn’t make things safer, but more dangerous.

One of our amazing SDRTL Chapters has stepped up to fully sponsor one young adult, age 18–25, to attend the National Right to Life Academy for one week this summer in Washington, D.C. This incredible academy offers intensive pro-life training led by foremost leaders in the movement, covering topics such as:

• abortion
• euthanasia
• stem cell research
• Planned Parenthood
• legislative strategy
• politics
• communication
• grassroots organizing
• IVF...and much more!

The cost per student is $2,500, which covers tuition for the Academy, one round-trip flight, a seven-night hotel stay, and meals. Our goal is to match this gift and send two outstanding young leaders from South Dakota to attend. If we exceed our goal, we will be able to sponsor additional students.

If you would like to help our Chapters make this opportunity possible, please donate using the link below. In the “In Honor” section, please enter “Academy.” Checks may also be mailed, with “Academy” noted in the memo line, to:

SDRTL

4001 W Valhalla Blvd, Ste 101

Sioux Falls, SD, 57106

If you or someone you know is interested in applying for the NRLC Academy, download the application here.

Thank you so much for investing in South Dakota's future pro-life leaders! We will keep you up to date on those chosen for this incredible opportunity.

We are so thankful for your heart for moms, dads, and babies in SD. We love our partners!

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, make your check out to "South Dakota Right to Life Education Fund," or give online at SDRighttoLife.org. Mail your donations to:

SDRTL

4001 W Valhalla Blvd, Ste 101

Sioux Falls, SD 57106