The Life Defense Fund (LDF) is a South Dakota statewide ballot question committee that opposed South Dakota Amendment G in the November 2024 elections. If passed, South Dakota Amendment G would have established a constitutional right to an abortion along with the legal framework to regulate abortion. ¹

South Dakota Amendment G received 176,809 votes in favor of its passage (41 percent) while receiving 250,136 votes against its passage (59 percent) and was defeated. ²

Activities

The Life Defense Fund was established in 2022 to prevent the right to abortion from being written into constitutional law in South Dakota. As part of its efforts, LDF hosts the website No on G where it argued that the proposed South Dakota Amendment G was too extreme, claiming that the amendment would legalize late term abortions, take away parental rights, and endanger women’s health. ³

South Dakota Amendment G

South Dakota Amendment G appeared on the November 5, 2024 ballot in South Dakota and would have established a constitutional right to an abortion if passed. The Amendment also would have established the legal framework to regulate abortion throughout each trimester of pregnancy. ¹

South Dakota Amendment G did not pass, as it only received 41% of the vote. ²

Funding

The Life Defense Fund is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. Filings with the South Dakota Secretary of State confirm some of its largest 2024 donations came from Prestige Auto Sales ($25,000) and the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls ($25,000). Reported donations from individuals in 2024 ranged from $250 to $15,000 with an additional $3,750 contributed by the Minnehaha County Republican Party. ⁴

In 2023, the Beacom Family Foundation donated $30,000 to the South Dakota Right to Life Committee earmarked for the Life Defense Fund. ⁵

Leadership

Jon Hansen is a co-chair of the Life Defense Fund and a Republican member and Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives. ⁶ Hansen is a former president of the Dell Rapids Chamber of Commerce. ⁷

Leslee Unruh is a co-chair of the Life Defense Fund; the founder of Alpha Center, one of the largest pregnancy care centers in the U.S.; and the founder of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse. As a pro-life advocate, she has advised the White House on public policy and has been awarded the Pro-Life Leadership Award by the Vitae Foundation. ⁸

Steven Perkins was the founding treasurer of the Life Defense Fund but no longer holds this position. ⁹ Perkins is the president of the board of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards. ¹⁰

1. “South Dakota 2024 Ballot Questions.” South Dakota Secretary of State. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/assets/2024%20Assets/2024GeneralBQPamphlet.FINALdocx.pdf.
2. “Statewide Ballot Questions.” South Dakota Secretary of State. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://electionresults.sd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=BQ&map=CTY.
3. “Home.” No on G. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.noongsd.com/#home.
4. “Life Defense Fund Year End 2024.” South Dakota Secretary of State. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=6339&type=img.
5.  Beacom Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2023, Part XV, Line 3.
6. “Jon Hansen.” Ballotpedia. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://ballotpedia.org/Jon_Hansen.
7. “About Jon.” Jon Hansen for House. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://jonhansenforhouse.com/about-jon/.
8. “Professional Highlights.” Leslee Unruh. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://lesleeunruh.com/professional-highlights/
9. “Life Defense Fund.” South Dakota Secretary of State. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Search/SearchResults.aspx?cid=1361&rid=3008.
10. “Steven Perkins.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-perkins-a4864911/.