The demand for abortion in Oregon is going down, so why do pro-abortion lawmakers there seem so determined to increase it?
From 2011 to 2014, Oregon saw a 15 percent decline in the number of abortions.
It also saw a 7 percent decline in the number of abortion providers.
But, apparently that isn’t a trend line pro-abortion politicians want to see continue.
When it comes to restrictions on abortion, Oregon already has very few.
It has no parental consent or even parental notification laws. There are no mandated counseling or waiting periods for women seeking abortions. There are no additional regulations on facilities performing abortions to increase safety or ambulance-ready requirements.
And, unlike 43 other states that restrict abortion after either 20 weeks or after an unborn child can live outside the womb, Oregon allows abortions up until the moment of birth.
As a matter of fact, the only “restriction” on abortion in Oregon is that it isn’t free—for everyone.
So state lawmakers recently passed legislation to ensure that it is.
Called the Reproductive Health Equity Act, the bill ensures that all Oregonians, regardless of their income, citizenship status, gender identity, or type of insurance, receive the full spectrum of reproductive health services at zero out-of-pocket cost.
Of course, “reproductive health services” is code language for abortion and “zero out-of-pocket cost” means Oregon taxpayers, regardless of their personal views, will be paying for more abortions.
Oregon already allocates $2 million of state Medicaid funds for abortions. This new bill would tack on another $10 million.
But this time they are taking it a step further by forcing all insurance plans, exempting only a handful of religious charities, to cover abortions, for any reason, free of cost, to anyone in the state.
So, whether you are a citizen or noncitizen, rich or poor … whether you are three months pregnant or just weeks away from giving birth … and for whatever reason, including the fact you wanted a boy instead of a girl, you can now get an abortion compliments of Oregon taxpayers.
It’s no coincidence that those lobbying for the bill just happen to be the very entities that will profit from it. Dropping abortion rates means dropping profits for groups like Planned Parenthood who helped draft the legislation.
And just like at the federal level, they want taxpayers to bail them out.
But there is a way to stop it.
If opponents can collect the signatures of 88,184 registered voters between now and four months prior to the next regularly scheduled general election, they can force the bill to be put on the 2018 ballot—allowing the people of Oregon, not pro-abortion special interests, to have the final say.
Correction: At 2:50 in this video and in the original text of this piece, I incorrectly stated the number of signatures required to put this measure before Oregon voters. As opposed to a referendum, a statutory initiative would have to be pursued. The number should be 88,184 and would have to be collected four months prior to the next regularly scheduled general election. For more on Oregon’s referendum and initiative process, visit this link.
