By Lois Anderson, Executive Director, Oregon Right to Life
After six eventful months, the 2023 legislative session is over.
Here’s what you should know from the session:
- Senate Judicial Resolution 33 failed in committee. If passed, it would have put an amendment to establish an express right to abortion in the state constitution on the ballot.
- HB 2002 was substantially amended. What would have cast Oregon far outside the mainstream ended up changing very little in the state. Oregon is still the most extreme state in the country on abortion, but HB 2002 was going to make things much worse.
- Senate Bill 1099 passed, which will enhance our existing safe haven law by extend the time for women to safely surrender an infant.
- House Bill 2279, repealing the residency requirement for physician-assisted suicide, passed. Sadly, the deadly reach of assisted suicide is now extended to vulnerable people everywhere.
- Senate Bill 891 failed in committee. The senate assisted-suicide bill would have made it easier to request lethal drugs and expanded who could prescribe them.
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 will continue to advocate for vulnerable people whose rights are abridged under current laws.