In the 2022 Oregon Legislative Session, we spent most of our time on three bills. Two of those were the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (SB 1553) and the abortion pill reversal informed consent bill (HB 4042).
The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act would have required medical practitioners to provide life-saving care to infants who are born alive after an attempted abortion. Currently, medical practitioners may allow born-alive babies to die in these situations. Pro-abortion activists often argue that these laws are unnecessary because (a) this rarely happens and (b) it is already illegal under current law. However, while this is rare, it has been documented. Additionally, abortion practitioners have a financial interest in the public believing that this doesn’t happen. They want women to think that babies are not born alive after an attempted abortion. Also, if a child was born alive, they may not want to report it because these situations could undermine confidence in abortion practitioners. Even if this wasn’t the case, pro-abortion arguments fall flat. Why would abortion practitioners be so concerned about this legislation if babies born alive after an attempted abortion are not allowed to die? Allow it to pass since there will be little to no fiscal impact and won’t constrain abortion practitioners.
The abortion pill reversal (APR) informed consent bill (HB 4042) requires medical practitioners to advise pregnant women about abortion pill reversal treatment 24 hours before dispensing mifepristone, the drug most commonly used in chemical abortions. When administered soon after taking mifepristone, APR is safe and effective at saving an unborn baby’s life. However, time is of the essence for APR after taking mifepristone. Unfortunately, many women report feeling coerced or pressured into having an abortion. This information can not only save the life of her unborn child but a mother from a lifetime of regret.
These bills were left to expire in committee by pro-abortion leadership in the legislature. Typically, a resolution is passed at the beginning of a legislative session, setting deadlines when bills must be scheduled for work or be eliminated from consideration during that session. Pro-abortion leadership left these bills unscheduled, letting them die in committee.
