"To our providers and to the patients who live in Oregon or have been forced to retreat to our state for care, know that I continue to have your back," said Kotek.
"Here in Oregon, we understand that abortion is health care, and providers are appreciated and can continue to provide care without interference and intimidation," Kotek said in a press release. "To our providers and to the patients who live in Oregon or have been forced to retreat to our state for care, know that I continue to have your back."
Governor Kotek signed the declaration in Salem with providers present during the ceremony, including those from Planned Parenthood, the Lilith Clinic, and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).
Data from the Oregon Health Authority shows that of the 10,075 abortions provided in Oregon in 2023, 1,661 were out-of-state patients. This reflects a nearly 60 percent increase from 2022, the year when the United States Supreme Court reversed abortion landmark ruling, Roe v. Wade.
Governor Kotek seeks to make Oregon a sanctuary for abortions as some conservative-run states pass legislation to restrict abortion procedures with minor exceptions, such as Louisiana, Texas, and neighboring Idaho. While President Trump has stated his stance of leaving the issue up to the states, Kotek instructed the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to collaborate with OHSU to replace the state's three-year supply of Mifepristone, a pregnancy termination medication, for over 20 years. This directive was issued following the president’s win in November.
The Democratic governor first became a fighter for abortion access while she was the former Speaker of the Oregon House. As a result of Kotek's efforts, the Oregon legislature passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA) in 2017. Then, in her capacity as governor, Kotek demanded regulators to guarantee that insurers complied with the law, punishing non-compliant ones.
In 2023, Governor Kotek signed House Bill 2002, known as the Access to Reproductive Health Care law, which safeguards access to abortions in the state and allocates taxpayer funding to support abortion activist groups and clinical partners to guarantee that out-of-state individuals have greater access to abortion.
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