Oregon, California and Washington pledge to be abortion safe havens

Jun. 24—Joined with the governors of California and Washington, Gov. Kate Brown issued a commitment to defending reproductive rights on the West Coast in the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade.

"We will continue to protect patients from any state who come to our states for abortion care," Brown said in a video posted on California Gov. Gavin Newsom's YouTube channel.

Newsom described a "West Coast offense" between the three states to protect patients' access to reproductive healthcare.

The governors say they'll work with legislators, healthcare providers and patient advocates to protect patients' rights, and will work to protect doctors, nurses and other medical staff arranging reproductive healthcare in the three states.

"We will resist intrusions by out-of-state prosecutors, law enforcement or vigilantes trying to investigate patients receiving services in our states," Brown said in the video.

In a release, Brown called the Supreme Court decision "disgraceful," and a decision that "will undoubtedly put many people's lives at risk ... that disproportionately affects women and has been settled law for most of our lifetimes."

"For all the Americans today feeling scared, angry and disappointed — for everyone who needs an abortion and does not know where they can access safe reproductive health care — please know you are not alone, and the fight is not over," Brown stated in part.

Brown's office stated that Oregon has "led the nation by passing Oregon's Reproductive Health Equity Act into law in 2017, which put the right to an abortion in state law.

California Gov. Newsom is proposing a $125 million Reporductive Health Package to expand access for women seeking an abortion from other states.