The U.S. state of South Dakota has finalized legislation banning nearly all abortions, setting up a court battle aimed at challenging the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. The bill, signed by Governor Mike Rounds on Monday, would make it a crime for doctors to perform an abortion unless the procedure was necessary to save the mother's life. The law would make no exception for cases of rape or incest. The group that operates South Dakota's only abortion clinic has vowed to challenge the new law. Rounds said in a written statement that he expects the law will be tied up in court for years and will not take effect unless the U.S. Supreme Court upholds it. South Dakota's legislature passed the bill last month after supporters argued that the recent appointment of conservative justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito has made the U.S. Supreme Court more likely to overturn the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision.
