South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem took to Twitter on Monday night to declare that if the Supreme Court’s leaked report about overturning Roe v. Wade is true, she will call a special session to protect the lives of unborn children.
Noem shared the words following the release of a bombshell report leaked on Monday evening by Politico that suggests the Supreme Court intends to return decisions regarding abortion laws to individual states.
“If this report is true and Roe v. Wade is overturned, I will immediately call for a special session to save lives and guarantee that every unborn child has a right to life in South Dakota,” Noem wrote.
If this report is true and Roe v. Wade is overturned, I will immediately call for a special session to save lives and guarantee that every unborn child has a right to life in South Dakota. https://t.co/oIiGibCP7B
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) May 3, 2022
On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice John Roberts issued a statement confirming the validity of the leak.
“Although the document described in yesterday’s reports is authentic, it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case,” Roberts wrote.
“To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed. The work of the court will not be affected in any way,” he added.
Roberts also called for an investigation by the Marshal of the Court.
“I have directed the Marshal of the Court to launch an investigation into the source of the leak,” Roberts wrote.
BREAKING: Chief Justice John Roberts issues statement confirming validity of SCOTUS leak pic.twitter.com/64i90cUbt4
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) May 3, 2022
Noem has long served as a strong pro-life advocate. She most recently announced two pro-life bills on the day of March for Life in January, as tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Washington, D.C., for the annual protest.
The governor’s office announced the pieces of legislation, with one bill seeking to ban abortions once a child’s heartbeat can be detected, and another looking to ban telemedicine abortions in the state.
“Every human life is unique and beautiful from the moment it is conceived. Every life is worthy of our protection, worthy of the right to live,” Noem said. “We hope that this year’s March for Life will be the last and that the Supreme Court will finally protect every unborn life. But until that comes to pass, these bills will ensure that both unborn children and their mothers are protected in South Dakota.”
The office noted, “Governor Noem previewed her heartbeat legislation last year when she directed her Unborn Child Advocate to review South Dakota laws and ensure that we have the strongest pro-life laws on the books in South Dakota.” Last year, Noem blocked telemedicine abortions through an executive order. She also signed eight pieces of pro-life legislation into law.