Dear John,
Wow! Things always move quickly in short legislative sessions. So much happens in such a brief amount of time. This year was no different.
There were a lot of bills in the legislature this short session. While some of them got quite a bit of floor-time (like the farmworker overtime bill), the issue of protecting life did not.
Three bills absorbed most of our time: the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (SB 1553), the abortion pill reversal informed consent bill (HB 4042), and an omnibus bill that included provisions to expand abortion access in Oregon (HB 4034).
Unfortunately, but to no one’s suprise, radically pro-abortion leadership let life-protecting legislation languish in committee this year.
It's not the first time we've advocated for the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act. When it was previously voted on, all the Democrats in the State Senate opposed it. This time, it didn't make it out of committee. The abortion pill reversal informed consent bill met the same fate as the Born Alive Act. It died in committee without a vote or any discussion.
Unlike these life-affirming bills, pro-abortion legislators moved the omnibus House Bill 4034 through the process rapidly, passing it with barely any discussion. It included provisions that made the Reproductive Healthcare Equity Act (RHEA) permanent. Usually, laws that compel health insurance providers to cover particular treatments are automatically repealed after six years. HB 4034 exempted RHEA from that statute, making that radical pro-abortion law permanent. What's more, it also gave the Oregon Health Authority a blank check to push their pro-abortion agenda—including in schools! This bill is currently awaiting the governor’s signature.
Despite the resistance of pro-abortion politicians, we are proud of what we accomplished during this legislative session. You and other advocates worked together to send over seven thousand emails to legislators. That is incredible! As you continue to let your elected officials and your neighbors know that the future is pro-life, we are confident that we will see meaningful changes that protect life in Oregon.
Because everyone deserves an advocate,
Lois Anderson
Executive Director
