Written by Sharolyn Smith, ORTL political director
The 2023 legislative session was one for the books. Over an eventful six months, the pro-abortion lobby and lawmakers presented some of the most dangerous, unconstitutional pieces of legislation we have ever seen, attacking unborn children, their parents and vulnerable people at the end of life.
In protest of these radical bills, our pro-life senators valiantly put their careers on the line and walked out for five weeks, halting any forward motion until concessions were made. Here are some other highlights:
Senate Judicial Resolution 33 failed in committee. SJR 33 would have enshrined abortion up to the moment of birth in the Oregon Constitution — something few voters actually want. It also would have chipped away at conscience protections for health care employees opposed to abortion.
House Bill 2002 was substantially amended. What would have cast Oregon far outside the mainstream ended up changing very little. HB 2002 was originally a radical expansion of abortion targeted at children. It required abortion providers to withhold information from a child’s parents if she has an abortion. It also allowed the provision of abortion to children without parental knowledge regardless of age. But the amendments made because of the walkout eliminated the most egregious provisions. This was a significant win.
HB 3646 passed, which will extend the time for women to safely surrender an infant under the “safe haven” law. Pregnancy and parenting are challenging, and many new mothers feel a ton of pressure and fear. HB 3646 promotes this life-saving alternative by raising awareness about Oregon’s safe surrender law and extending the period during which it can be used.
Unfortunately, HB 2279 passed, repealing the residency requirement for physician-assisted suicide. The deadly reach of assisted suicide is now extended to vulnerable people everywhere.
Senate Bill 891 failed in committee. The Senate assisted suicide bill was far worse than its counterpart in the House. In addition to repealing the residency requirement, it would have removed the 15-day waiting period, allowed just 48 hours to acquire a deadly prescription, eliminated the requirement for a medical examination, allowed a health care facility employee or even owner to be a legal witness to an assisted suicide and expanded the role of assisting in suicide to non-physicians.
These were hard-won victories in the legislature, but the reality in Oregon is that circumstances haven’t improved for those endangered by abortion and physician-assisted suicide. We at Oregon Right to Life will continue to advocate for vulnerable people whose rights are abridged under current laws.
