Oregon abortion-rights advocates warn of what could come with Supreme Court decision

Oregon is one of 16 states with laws protecting the right to abortion.

The Oregon Legislature has enacted a number of laws securing access to these procedures, including the Reproductive Health Equity Act in 2017, which codified the protections of Roe v. Wade in Oregon law.

There are no significant restrictions on abortions in Oregon that are seen in other states, such as waiting periods or mandatory parental involvement.

But at a media event Tuesday, Lisa Gardner, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Oregon, warned Oregonians that “things can change” and thus they should “stay engaged, pay attention and don’t feel safe.”

Politico in May published a draft U.S. Supreme Court majority opinion suggesting the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion.

"Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," Associate Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the leaked draft, which the high court later confirmed was authentic. "We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled."

Gardner gathered with U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and state Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle outside Planned Parenthood in Eugene. The officials were eager to share news of the $15 million Oregon Reproductive Health Equity Fund, established in March, which will serve to help residents and people coming from other states for reproductive care.

Despite protections in place in Oregon, Gardner was adamant that a fight for reproductive freedom was coming.

“We're on the precipice of one of the darkest days in our country with regard to individual rights," Gardner said. “In just a few weeks, we expect a catastrophic decision from the Supreme Court.”

Impact to Oregon:How state law impacts Oregon abortion access

The leak of the draft Supreme Court opinion has galvanized many advocates to protest around the nation. The official decision is expected sometime this summer.

Gardner said "the writing is on the wall" and Planned Parenthood is prepared for the worst.

“We literally are built for this moment. If this is a five-year fight, 10-year fight or a 15-year fight, we are ready,” she said. “We've been working on this, building our strategy, for the last two years. This is not the end of the fight. This is the beginning of rolling up our sleeves, pushing back and creating the country that we want to live in.”

Wyden, who is facing reelection this November against Republican Jo Rae Perkins, said Democrats won’t “leave any stone unturned” in the effort to protect reproductive rights ahead of the official decision. However, he didn't offer any specifics as to how that might happen.

Soon after the leaked draft was published, the U.S. Senate failed to pass a bill that would have protected Roe v. Wade.

Related: Senate fails to make Roe v. Wade law

According to her website, Perkins is “100% Pro-Life,” believes “life begins at conception and should end naturally, not at the hands of the medical community” and that abortion is “murder no matter how you try to spin it.”

Hoyle, who also spoke at the event, is also gearing up for election season, vying to represent Oregon’s 4th Congressional District. She’ll run against Republican Alek Skarlatos, a former Army National Guard soldier who ran and lost against longtime Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio in 2020.

While Skarlatos’ website does not mention abortion, DeFazio’s campaign shared a video in 2020 of Skarlatos saying “if we can do it, we probably should go for it,” at a campaign event in regards to repealing Roe v. Wade.

Contact reporter Tatiana Parafiniuk-Talesnick at Tatiana@registerguard.com or 541-521-7512, and follow her on Twitter @TatianaSophiaPT.

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This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Sen. Wyden, other advocates, join Planned Parenthood in Eugene