Allows 10-year-olds to have abortions without parental knowledge, No Age Restriction for Irreversible, Gender-Altering Procedures

Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend) and House Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville) released the following statement on the passage of HB 2002 out of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means:

“Tonight, during the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, despite uncertain facts and unanswered questions, Oregon Democrats passed the most extreme abortion and gender-altering legislation in our nation’s history.

The legislative manipulation witnessed tonight was too fast and too extreme for Oregon.

In less than an hour of debate in tonight’s meeting, without public input and minimal time for Q&A, Democrat leadership forced this bill through knowing that there will be no further opportunity for public input.

During the committee meeting, Democrat committee leadership audibly gasped when Legislative Counsel confirmed that 10-year-olds would be able to get abortions without parental knowledge under the legislation they were “intimately involved with crafting”.One anonymous parent offered testimony, saying “I am convinced any bill that furthers this ideology, without seriously questioning why it is occurring and what made us all to drastically change our thoughts about such fundamental ideas as sex/gender and a child/teen being able to have informed consent, is not in our children’s best interest.”

Legislative Director for the Muslim Religious Freedom Alliance, Abu Jalani offered, “We are in opposition to HB 2002 which as written would criminalize the act of parenting when a parent of a child advises or tries to prevent their child from seeking “reproductive healthcare”. It’s egregious that lawmakers believe parents shouldn’t have ultimate decision making in the healthcare of their children.”

The statement from Republican Leadership continued:

As Democrat committee leadership stated tonight, Republicans “should have known this was coming” and prepared accordingly. We did know, we did prepare, we did come equipped with thorough questions. They simply could not answer them and would not give us more time.

If this policy was truly a well-crafted, well-vetted Democrat priority, why were government attorneys unable to answer the questions asked of them tonight with even an ounce of certainty?

Make no mistake – there are 73 days left in this Legislative Session. The time constraint argued by the Democrats is self-imposed. They are in the majority, and they set the agenda.

House and Senate Republicans will continue to stand for the safety of children and the rights of parents. This is a day we won’t soon forget.”
–Staff Reports