A proposed bill in South Dakota that would have classified murders of abortion doctors as “justifiable homicide” has been shelved after a national outcry, according to news reports. The bill, the latest in a series of attacks on women from state and federal lawmakers, drew outrage from pro-choice groups, including People For the American Way.

Michael Keegan, President of People For the American Way, said:

“Republican legislators in states across the country and the GOP majority in the U.S. House are trying to use their positions to wage a war on women. These lawmakers are trying get away with extreme and unjustifiable anti-choice bills that place huge burdens on women seeking reproductive health care while making it more and more difficult for doctors to provide care. The successful backlash against South Dakota’s abortion doctor murder bill sends a clear signal: they can’t get away with it.

“Republican candidates last year promised to create jobs and help the economy. Instead, they’ve focused on attacking American women. The outcry over the South Dakota legislature’s attempted extremism shows that jobs and the economy are still the priorities for voters—not irresponsible attacks on women’s health.”

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