Oregon Legislative Committee Moves HB 3391: Expands Abortion, Coerces People & Organizations to Pay for Abortions

Salem, OR–Today the Joint Ways and Means Sub-Committee on Human Services passed out House Bill 3391 to the full Ways and Means Committee after adopting new amendments.  As amended, HB 3391 would:

• Force nearly all health benefit plans offered in this state to cover abortions with no co-pays.
• Exempt any currently offered health benefit plans that do not cover abortion, but also create a new state program to fund abortions for people on these plans.
• Mandate that any future health insurance companies cover abortions with no co-pays, regardless of their religious convictions.
• Jeopardize federal funding by violating the Weldon Amendment, which is a piece of federal law that has been included in every Labor and Health and Human Services appropriations bill enacted since 2004 and specifically prohibits what House Bill 3391 would do.
• Put churches and other organizations that have deeply held beliefs in the position of violating those beliefs.

“It’s a travesty that legislators are working to expand abortions in Oregon, a state where nearly half of all abortions are already paid for by taxpayers,” said Gayle Atteberry, ORTL executive director.

“Planned Parenthood, Oregon’s largest abortion provider, testified in support of this bill, arguing that it makes ‘economic’ sense.  Killing more babies to save money never makes sense.  The truth is, Planned Parenthood stands to make a killing if abortions are free in Oregon.  They will still receive the insurance company payouts.”

HB 3391 will now be sent to the full Joint Committee on Ways and Means for consideration.

For media inquiries, please contact Liberty Pike, ORTL communications director, at liberty@ortl.org.

To ask your elected officials to vote no on HB 3391, please click here.