South Dakota is jumping the gun

South Dakota appears to be well on its way to banning abortion:

After about an hour of impassioned debate, South Dakota's House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that seeks to ban most abortions in the state.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Roger Hunt, R-Brandon, passed with a 57-22 vote. A similar bill in 2004 passed the House 54-14.

Supporters of the bill hope it will draw other states into passing similar measures in an attempt to get the Supreme Court to revisit its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. Hunt said several other states are considering like-minded bills.

New members on the Supreme Court and the prospects of another vacancy within the next two years make now the right time for an abortion ban, Hunt said.

If I were an aging Supreme Court justice that thought Roe was a correct ruling, I'd do everything in my power to stay on the bench long enough for a Democrat President to be in place to name my replacement, even if I had been considering retirement. I can't help but wonder if South Dakota's actions help insure that Bush doesn't get another Supreme Court nomination.