Oregon braces for post-Roe influx
Jun. 25—Oregon reproductive health care organizations are bracing for increased demand for abortions in the state now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade.
At the same time, Oregon anti-abortion advocates promised to continue their fight to weaken laws in Oregon that protect the right to abortion.
Christel Allen, executive director of the nonprofit Pro-Choice Oregon, said Friday she expects the loss of abortion access in neighboring states to cause an estimated 235% increase in demand for reproductive health care services in Oregon, and they are bracing for reduced abortion access in Eastern Oregon.
Allen was among several Oregon nonprofit leaders, including the ACLU of Oregon, who spoke Friday about the ripple effects of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Sandy Chung, executive director of the ACLU of Oregon said that although abortion remains legal in Oregon, that's not the case in neighboring states such as Idaho, which has an abortion trigger law on the books slated to ban abortions within 30 days.
"The decision today is oppressive, dangerous and undemocratic," Chung said. "It repudiates our country's principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Lois Anderson, Oregon Right to Life executive director, had a much different take on Friday's court decision.
"This is a historic day. A day the pro-life movement has been working toward for over 50 years," she said in a prepared statement.
"The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson does not change or invalidate Oregon's extreme laws," she said. "Oregon Right to Life will continue our work to pass laws that protect unborn babies and their mothers and orient state policy toward providing life-affirming resources to families facing unsupported pregnancies."
The Jackson County chapter of Oregon Right to Life issued a statement that said, "We will continue to advocate for the sanctity of every life ... especially in Oregon. We love babies and we love their mothers and fathers. We will continue working to pass laws that protect babies and their mothers."
As news swirled about the court decision Friday, Jackson County remained relatively quiet, with no major protests or rallies by either side in the debate, though protests were scheduled Friday evening in Medford and Ashland.
Jeanne Chouard, of Oregon District 2 Indivisible and the Southern Oregon Women's March, said she was helping to organize a "flash protest" in the Ashland Plaza at 7 p.m. Friday.
Chouard said that when she learned of the court decision, she thought of how the decision would affect the next generation coming.
"As soon as I had my period, that's when Roe v. Wade came up, so for all my life I've been empowered as a woman," Chouard said.
Chouard said she was concerned the decision would open the door to taking away other rights, maybe even rights cherished by anti-abortion voters. She said she hopes the court decision would encourage people to vote.
"I've been anticipating it for a while," said state Rep. Kim Wallen, R-Medford. "I appreciate that it's a difficult, divisive issue, and I hope that we can find a way to come together, that it won't divide us further."
State Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, said even though she too anticipated the decision, seeing the announcement was still "a punch in the gut."
"Now it's real, and we have to grapple with it and see what the response is going to be."
Marsh said abortion and birth control have been a driving factor in the social, political and economic gains of women since 1973, and she said she will work to continue abortion access for Oregon residents and to those coming from out of state.
State Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, referred to the decision as an earthquake.
"Oregon's got arguably the strongest laws in the country, and we're going to defend any attempt to chip away at them."
Se-ah-dom Edmo, executive director of the fundraising nonprofit Seeding Justice, said Friday that the $15 million Reproductive Health Equity Fund created by the Oregon Legislature in March will be opened so individuals can make contributions. The fund is intended to ensure that anyone who calls Oregon home can get "the abortion care that they need, when and where they need it."
Edmo expects Seeding Justice to receive the funds as soon as next month, and they plan to allocate the first $1 million to the nonprofit Northwest Abortion Access Fund. The remainder will be allocated later this year after a public process involving a steering committee, according to Edmo. For information on the fund, see seedingjustice.org/reproductive-health-equity-fund/.
According to Megan Kovacs, with Northwest Abortion Access Fund, the nonprofit paid $800,000 last year to fund patient travel costs and medical bills for abortion care.
"We expect those costs only to go up," Kovacs said.
An Do, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, said during a Friday Zoom session that her nonprofit had been preparing for a day such as Friday, but called it a dark day for supporters of reproductive rights nonetheless.
Oregon House Republicans, on the other hand, see Friday's decision as a new starting point.
"The opinion returns the power to protect the lives of the unborn back to the states," said a statement from Oregon House Republicans.
"I applaud the Supreme Court's decision to return this issue back to the states," said Oregon House Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson, of Prineville.
"Oregon continues to have some of the most extreme abortion laws in the country. Abortion should be rare. I hope today's decision starts a larger conversation in Oregon that includes educated decisions for women. I see this as a good starting place for spirited debate in the 2023 Legislative session."
Reach web editor Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or nmorgan@rosebudmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MTwebeditor.
