Legislators release fury over abortion roadblocks
Anticipating the overturn of Roe v. Wade, in May Oregon House
Majority Leader Julie Fahey (D-West Eugene) and Representative
Andrea Valderrama (D-East Portland) met with White House officials
and state legislators from California, Washington, Illinois, Maryland,
New York and Connecticut to discuss preparations and legislation to
protect and expand abortion access.
Now their worst fears are
materializing as some states across the country are proposing to ban
abortion. Democrat legislators were falling all over themselves rushing
to issue statements. Without exception, they all expressed an outrage
at this decision to put the power in states to save innocent
lives.
Representative Fahey stated: “We are prepared for this moment in
Oregon because for the last decade, Oregonians have elected
Democratic majorities to our Legislature. During my first term in 2017, I
was proud to chief sponsor the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA),
one of the strongest abortion access laws in the country. RHEA codified
the right to an abortion in state law and made the full range of
reproductive health care services more affordable and accessible for all
Oregonians. And this year we’ve taken even more action to close
existing gaps, expand provider capacity and support for patients
traveling to the state for care.â€
House Speaker Dan Rayfield offered his conflicting statement after
voting to mandate vaccinations. “This decision takes away the ability of
Americans to control their own bodies and lives, and turns that power
over to politicians. All individuals should have the right to make the most personal and private decisions that affect their lives, their health,
and their families.â€
Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) stated that “Pro-Choice
states like Oregon are now the last line of defense to protect abortion
and reproductive health care rights. It’s more important than ever to
elect leaders that will protect abortion and reproductive health care.
Our Democratic majority is the dividing line.â€
Senator Akasha Lawrence Spence (D-Portland) said “The impact of
overturning Roe will be felt largely by Black, Indigenous, and Latinx
people, youth of color under 25, disabled people, immigrants, people
living with low incomes, and people in rural areas— communities who
have long faced barriers to abortion access due to systemic barriers and
discrimination.â€
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
As part of a statement for the BIPOC Caucus (Legislative Black,
Indigenous, People of Color), Co-Vice Chair Representative Andrea
Valderrama (D-Portland) said, “With over 530 abortion restrictions
introduced in states this year, fighting to make abortion care accessible
to our most directly impacted pregnant people in Oregon and in
neighboring states with active bans is a critical step towards
dismantling systems of white supremacy and patriarchy.â€
Representative Travis Nelson (D-Portland) declared that “At
a time when the Black maternal mortality rate is nearly three times
higher than the general population, the conservative majority of the
Supreme Court is placing their extreme agenda over the lives of
communities who already face systemic barriers to critical and essential
care.â€
Senate President Pro Tempore James Manning (D-Eugene) must have
forgot his push for people to vaccinate when he stated, “Abortion bans
disproportionately harm Black, Latino, Indigenous, and other people of
color. We must continue to develop Oregon’s reproductive health care
infrastructure and build on Oregon’s legacy of abortion access to
ensure every Oregonian controls their body and their future.â€
Senator Kayse Jama (D-Portland) stated, “Not only does this action set our
nation back almost 50 years, from abortion to voting rights to gun
control to the criminal justice system, this far-right Court has made it
increasingly clear that the rights once thought fundamental to our Democracy are merely an illusory set of freedoms that can be removed
by the stroke of a pen.â€
Senator Deb Patterson (D-Salem), Chair of the Senate Committee on
Health Care said, “I remember how
terrifying it was for women to seek abortions before Roe v. Wade. We
cannot go back.â€
Democrat governor candidate, Tina Kotek, also conflicted her actions in
the legislature supporting mandatory vaccines by her statement, “Our
right to control our own bodies and futures has been gutted. I’m
furious. I’m deeply concerned for women around the country.â€
Unaffilated candidate Betsy Johnson stated, “I am pro-choice. This is a
bedrock issue for me, and frankly, for Oregon. A fundamental right.â€
Republican governor candidate Christine Drazan then pointed out that
“Despite the U.S. Supreme
Court’s decision, Oregon will continue to have among the most extreme
abortion laws in the country and around the world. As governor, I will
stand up for life by vetoing legislation designed to push Oregon further
outside the mainstream.â€
--Donna BleilerPost Date: 2022-06-26 06:43:34 | Last Update: 2022-06-25 17:19:47 |