SB 152, the only clean bill so far this year in the United States, died Wednesday afternoon in the South Dakota Senate. The “reconsideration” never happened. South Dakota Seal posted on its FB page: When the House Speaker announced it for reconsideration, not even the sponsor said a word. Apparently he lost his fight??? ****** SB 152’S companion bill, HB 1223 started out as a clean bill, but a “contact preference” which is actually a disclose veto, was added to it which reads: If a parent has indicated a no contact preference no original birth certificate may be obtained. South Dakota Seal has been told the bill will go to the House floor today (Thursday) at 2:30 PM for a vote. Please contact the House and asked members to (1) strike the amendment on the floor (2) if the amendment is not struck on the floor, urge members to vote NO. If this bill passes with the current amendment, South Dakota will have created a “special right” for a handful of parents to deny access to records that serves as a guarantee that “special records” will remain sealed. No state with a disclosure veto in place has ever revisited the Continue Reading →

The South Dakota Senate yesterday defeated SB 152. This was a clean simple bill to restore the right to access original birth certificates to all South Dakota adoptees without restriction. The vote was 22-12. The roll call vote is here. According to the South Dakota Seal Facebook page, the chief opponent was the South Dakota Eagle Forum. It’s argument: abortion We haven’t heard from the Eagle Forum since it took a trouncing in the 1996 Doe v Sundquist case Back then, the Tennessee Eagle Forum signed on as an amicus to overturn that state’s partial-access bill, which resulted in the now famous Sundquist decision. Apparently the Eagle Forum hasn’t learned its lesson. Go here for BN’s short review of Sundquist South Dakota seal writes: UFFDA!! Senate Bill 152 failed on the Senate Floor today. 22 nays,12 yeas. HUGE turnaround from last year. The strong opponent this time was abortion and the young girl who may been pg and want to keep it a secret. When some of them were speaking, they were saying Adoptive Parent instead of Birthparent, and child instead of Adult, even the sponsor did that. Geeesh. Made me wonder if they were a bunch of kids running Continue Reading →

I am delighted to endorse and support SB 152, a bill that if passed, will restore the right of all South Dakota adopted persons, without restriction, to access their original birth certificates upon request. SB 152 is about rights not reunion. It is about the relation of adoptees to the state. It is about the absolute natural right of identity and the civil right to a true unfalsified birth certificate for all South Dakota adoptees. SB 152 as written is a simple-to-understand measure that recognizes the presumed right of all adults to unrestricted access and ownership of their true birth certificates, not just some. If adoptees are not equal legally to the not-adopted in terms receiving their own birth certificates, then the right of anyone to possess their own birth certificate is not a right but a state favor. SB 152 is inclusive. It acknowledges a legally, morally, and ethically correct one-size fits all standard of identity and records rights for all persons– adopted and not adopted. SB 152 does not change adoption procedures. Adoption records are sealed upon finalization, not relinquishment. If the court denies an adoption petition or the petition is withdrawn, the birth record remains unsealed. If Continue Reading →

BASTARD NATION ACTION ALERTSOUTH DAKOTA SB 152 PLEASE FORWARD FREELY. SB 152, a 100% unconditional open records bill, will be voted upon on the floor of the South Dakota Senate on Tuesday, February 16th. Bastard Nation: The Adoptee Rights Organization, urges everyone to write to the Senators of South Dakota immediately and ask them to vote YES on SB 152, which will give all adoptees equal rights. SB 152 will allow any adoptee 18 years or older to obtain a copy of that person’s original birth certificate upon written application, with no conditions or restrictions. SB 152 is sponsored by Senators Adelstein, Jerstad, and Merchant and Representatives Lederman, Feinstein, Lust, McLaughlin, and Sly.The bill was heard first by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The only change made in committee was omitting a contact preference form in the bill. It was felt that this form was not necessary to the bill. The Senate committee passed the bill with a vote of 4 to 2. Help make 2010 the year South Dakota goes over the top! Please bombard the senators with your letters of rousing support!. You can read the bill at: http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/Bill.aspx?File=SB152SHE.htm CONTACT INFORMATION South Dakota has made it Continue Reading →