Roe Fallout: Oregon Joins Western States In Vowing To Be 'Safe Haven'

SALEM, OR — Oregon will remain a "safe haven" for women who need reproductive health care, Gov. Kate Brown (D) announced Friday morning.

Brown and the governors of California and Washington signed a Multi-State Commitment to Reproductive Freedom in the wake of the decision by the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday.

“Abortion is health care, and no matter who you are or where you come from, Oregon doesn’t turn away anyone seeking health care," Brown said in a video released by all three governors. "Let me be clear: You cannot ban abortion, you can only ban safe abortions."

She added: "This disgraceful Supreme Court decision will undoubtedly put many people’s lives at risk, in addition to stripping away a constitutional right that disproportionately affects women and has been settled law for most of our lifetime."

Brown said Oregon has taken several steps in recent years to expand access to reproductive care in anticipation of Roe being overturned, including the following.

• Oregon passed comprehensive reproductive health legislation in 2017 — a first of its kind bill that expanded access to reproductive health services for all Oregonians and codified the right to an abortion into state law.
• Oregon invested $15 million for community-based organizations to expand access to abortion across the state and provide immediate support to patients, health care providers and community advocates, with a focus on rural communities, communities of color and low-income communities to overcome barriers to access.

The full text of the multistate commitment can be found here.

Other Oregon elected officials also expressed outrage at the decision.

"We knew this decision was coming, but it doesn't make it any less horrifying," Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) said. "The Court has betrayed and defied the American people, who are rightfully terrified that the most powerful people in the country are clearly eager to violate their privacy and the basic human right to control their own bodies."

U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Beaverton) called the decision "infuriating, heartbreaking and dangerous. Abortion is health care. Overturning Roe v. Wade will not end abortions, it will make them unsafe."