The campaign opposing a South Dakota abortion-rights ballot measure received $500,000 from an out-of-state nonprofit and $100,000 from a Sioux Falls church, among other contributions still streaming in less than a week before Election Day.

Those contributions follow a $500,000 infusion to the abortion-rights side by another out-of-state group last week.

Michael Card, University of South Dakota associate professor emeritus in political science, said the last-minute fundraising reflects the high stakes and the unpredictable outcome. Polls indicate a close contest, but Card said many people are private about their feelings on abortion, so gauging public sentiment is difficult. 

“Nobody knows what will happen, so these groups are likely willing to donate more than they might otherwise,” Card said. “And because of the national interest in the issue, more outside money will be coming in to influence this election.”

There are no limits on contributions to ballot question committees.

The latest $500,000 contribution came Wednesday to the No G for SD ballot question committee from The Concord Fund, in Virginia. It operates as a 501(c)(4), which is a type of nonprofit sometimes called a “dark money” organization, because it can participate in political campaigns without disclosing its donors. The fund’s 2023 public IRS filing said the group had $53 million in revenue.

According to Open Secrets, an organization that tracks money in politics, The Concord Fund is closely tied to Leonard Leo. He’s a one-time Trump adviser who served as an executive of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal group that counts at least five U.S. Supreme Court justices as current or former members. 

Another $100,000 came to No G for SD on Tuesday from Celebrate Wesleyan Church of Sioux Falls. Other recent donations to the committee have included $25,000 from Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s political action committee, Keeping Republican Ideas Strong Timely & Inventive, and $10,000 from Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden’s campaign committee.

The recent fundraising brings the total amount raised against the ballot measure to more than $2 million since last spring, based on reports from several active ballot question committees. 

It’s difficult to say how much has been raised in support of the measure, because the committee backing it, Dakotans for Health, is also supporting a measure that would repeal state sales taxes on groceries and is combining all of its campaign finance information. But the group’s latest reports say it’s raised more than $850,000 since its last report in May.

Abortion is currently banned in South Dakota, with one exception for abortions necessary to save the life of the mother. Amendment G would legalize abortion while allowing for restrictions in the second trimester of pregnancy and a ban in the third trimester, with mandatory exceptions to protect the life or health of the pregnant woman. The amendment is one of seven Nov. 5 ballot questions under consideration by South Dakota voters.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — As Hurricane Helene devastated parts of North Carolina and other surrounding states, the impact is having affects across the country.

Baxter International, a global medical device company that provides products and services for patients and healthcare professionals, was significantly affected by the hurricane at their Marion, North Carolina, manufacturing facility.

Having been closed since Sept. 29 after the hurricane hit, the facility was responsible for producing approximately 1.5 million bags of IV solution per day, supplying about 60% of the IV solutions used in the United States, according to the United States Department of Justice.

Gov. Kristi Noem and four fellow Republican governors in urged President Joe Biden on Oct. 17 to immediately address the shortage of IV fluid.

“Hospital and health systems across our states are employing conservation strategies and exploring alternatives to protect sound clinical care in our states. But conservation strategies have limited effectiveness and are not sustainable strategies without increased production and reliable access,” wrote Gov. Noem and her colleagues.

The letter requested specific actions be taken including collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration to identify international manufacturers capable of producing sterile IV solutions and their containers; removal of any barriers preventing the importation of sterile IV and peritoneal dialysis solutions from abroad and that the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice should be on alert for any instances of price gouging related to this shortage.

Since the closure of the plant, the South Dakota Department of Health said they have been actively working with South Dakota healthcare systems and other providers across the state to address the IV fluid shortage caused by the closure of the Baxter International facility.

According to the Department of Health, South Dakota healthcare facilities are implementing strategies to conserve IV fluids and prevent shortages. These strategies include using different delivery methods for medications as appropriate, focusing on good oral hydration and limiting waste.

David Basel, doctor of pediatrics and internal medicine at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Sioux Falls, said that while they have conservation strategies in place, they have been successful in not having much of an affect on patient care.

“They may get a few more requests to orally hydrate before or if they come in with vomiting and diarrhea, they may see that we work a little bit harder to get them to drink in the emergency room, rather than just popping them on the fluids,” Basel said.

Although Basel said their efforts to lower their use has caused an increase in workflow, it’s still business as usual from a patient perspective.

“We’ve been really very effective in dropping down our utilization,” Basel said. “Right now we’re in a reasonable place where we’re kind of matching and not having to cancel procedures or anything like that.”

In a statement, Sanford Health said they are not seeing any significant changes due to the shortage when providing care for their patients.

“Sanford Health is not currently experiencing any significant shortage of IV fluids in our hospitals and clinics. We continue to monitor supply and have initiated conservation efforts to support those that are experiencing shortages. At this point we are not postponing any surgeries, including elective surgeries, due to shortages in IV fluids.”

According to an Oct. 24 update in a press release, barring any unanticipated developments, Baxter anticipates restarting IV solution manufacturing within the next week.

Tucker Kraft gave his hometown of Timber Lake, South Dakota, a shoutout on national television Friday.The Timber Lake High School graduate and Green Bay Packer tight end made an appearance on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football. The second-year tight end fielded a number of questions during the 11-minute interview, including growing up in tiny Timber Lake (population: 500).“The population is 500…