Life Defense Fund, advertising agency discuss use of last-minute campaign contributions

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Campaign contributions continue to pour through for campaigns around the state.

Exactly a week ago today, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker's advocacy nonprofit group contributed $500,000 to Dakotans for Health in the fight to support Amendment G.

Dakotans for Health has continued to champion its fight for reproductive rights and has admitted that they don't have the money that pro-life groups do.

The Life Defense Fund has raised over $1.5 million. Over 90 percent of those are in-state dollars, but critical dollars have come from out-of-state as well.

"The people of this state out to send a message to the Governor of Illinois that we don't want those far-left blue state policies in our South Dakota constitution," Life Defense Fund co-chair Jon Hansen said.

The Fund continues to see money coming in even at the last minute with a recent $25,000 contribution from the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls. Life Defense Fund spokesperson Caroline Woods confirmed the Diocese has donated $75,000 total.

Hansen says there is still more to do.

"It's just a mixture of the things you're used to seeing, commercials, signs, or other forms of advertisement. Our mission is solely education, and the more people learn about constitutional Amendment G, the more they're going to reject, we're just totally confident in that," Hansen said.

Ryan Budmayr, VP of Public Relations for Lawrence & Schiller Marketing and Advertising Agency, said at this point the message has been made for campaigns, and with the time available, a lot of the effort will go towards voter turnout.

"More money will go to text messaging, direct-to-voter options, calls and really it changes to how can we get these people out to vote, how do we get the people we know to support us?" Budmayr said.

As of last Thursday, just short of a 100,000 voters have cast their ballots.

Dakota News Now did receive a statement from Rick Weiland, the Co-Sponsor of Dakotans for Health, about the contribution to his campaign.

Weiland also commented on the comments the Life Defense Fund made about the out-of-state money Dakotans for Health has received.