
<p>South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem has enacted one of the country’s most restrictive laws on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade in 2022, and now she is encouraging other GOP governors, including Florida’s Ron DeSantis, to follow her lead in almost entirely banning the procedure in her state.</p>



<p>In an interview with CBS News, Noem turned up the heat on abortion for her possible rivals in the 2024 Republican presidential race, arguing that her state&#8217;s ban on abortion is a model for the Republican Party. ;</p>



<p>When asked whether she would &#8220;nudge&#8221; DeSantis to do more to restrict abortion in Florida, Noem replied, &#8220;I would nudge every governor to do what they can to back up their pro-life record. I think that talking about situations and making statements is incredibly important, but also taking action and governing and bringing policies that protect life are even more important because that&#8217;s what truly will save lives.&#8221;</p>



<p>Noem&#8217;s comments came only a few days after one of her top aides, Ian Fury, criticized DeSantis for &#8220;hiding&#8221; behind Florida&#8217;s 15-week abortion ban, which DeSantis signed into law last year. ;</p>



<p>In South Dakota, abortion is completely banned, with an exception if the pregnant woman&#8217;s life is endangered. There are no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, making it one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the Union. </p>



<p>The state&#8217;s so-called &#8220;trigger law&#8221; prohibiting abortion went into effect last year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling on abortion rights. ;</p>



<p>DeSantis has said he is &#8220;willing to sign great life legislation&#8221; when asked if he would support a six-week abortion ban during Florida&#8217;s coming legislative session.</p>



<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s what I&#8217;ve always said I would do,&#8221; DeSantis said last month. ;</p>



<p>Noem&#8217;s advocacy for stricter abortion laws elsewhere comes as top Republicans are navigating the issue in the wake of the party&#8217;s scattered results in the 2022 midterm elections and in the run-up to the GOP&#8217;s 2024 presidential primary race, where winning over socially conservative voters is widely seen as critical to winning the nomination. ;</p>



<p>When asked about Fury&#8217;s critique of DeSantis and if the Florida governor&#8217;s support for a 15-week ban goes far enough, Noem did not take on DeSantis directly but touted her own &#8220;aggressive&#8221; record. ;</p>



<p>&#8220;A lot of people talk and say a lot of things to grab headlines and make broad statements,&#8221; Noem said. &#8220;I prefer to take action and to do things that actually protect life. So, I know that many states have different laws. I&#8217;m proud of South Dakota and how aggressive we&#8217;ve been to make sure that we are protecting each and every single life that is precious and that we continue to lead by example.&#8221; ;</p>



<p>Noem added, &#8220;I would certainly hope that other states would take the action that South Dakota has.&#8221; ;</p>



<p>As this is such a hot-button issue among GOP voters and potential 2024 candidates, other Republicans, with their eyes on the Oval Office, have advocated for further efforts to restrict abortion. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has proposed a 15-week ban in the commonwealth, and former Vice President Mike Pence told CBS News this month he would &#8220;support any pro-life legislation that Congress would take up.&#8221; ;</p>



<p>While former President Donald Trump has touted his appointment of the three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, he has also argued that abortion could be a politically complicated issue for Republicans. </p>



<p>This week, Trump said evangelical leaders did not do enough to rally GOP voters in 2022. ;</p>

South Dakota Governor Noem Pushes Others to Follow Her Abortion Ban!
