FIRST ON FOX: The Democrats in the Oregon state legislature were excoriated by the legislature’s Republican leaders for passing the ‘most extreme abortion and gender-altering legislation in our nation’s history’ out of committee.
Thursday saw Oregon House Bill 2002A expanding abortion access and ‘gender-affirming treatment’ pass through the Beaver State’s Joint Committee on Ways and Means on Thursday without any Republican support.
Oregon Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp and House Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson released a lengthy statement condemning the passage of the bill out of committee.
‘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 GOP leaders wrote.
‘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,’ they continued.
‘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,’’ the lawmakers wrote.
Knopp and Breese-Iverson said that 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,’ the GOP leaders said. ‘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?’ they asked.
The lawmakers noted there ‘are 73 days left in this Legislative Session’ and said the ‘time constraint argued by the Democrats is self-imposed,’ as 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,’ Knopp and Breese-Iverson said. ‘This is a day we won’t soon forget.’
The bill would shield patients and providers from civil or criminal liability as more states ban abortion following the Dobbs ruling and allow a person to sue someone who interfered with their receipt of reproductive health care.
The bill prohibits health care providers from disclosing minor patients’ use of ‘reproductive health care information or services’ to their parent or legal guardian without authorization from the patient.
The measure would allow doctors to provide reproductive health care services, including abortion, ‘to any person without regard to the age.’
‘If a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or naturopathic physician provides reproductive health care information or services to a minor as described in ORS 109.640 (2), the physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, pharmacist or naturopathic physician may not disclose to the minor’s parent or legal guardian information regarding the information and services provided unless: (a) The minor has authorized the disclosure in writing; (b) The disclosure is authorized under ORS 192.567; or (c) The disclosure is otherwise required by federal law.’
A spokesperson for the Oregon Senate Democratic Caucus told Fox News Digital this ‘bill protects Oregonians’ basic rights and freedoms, specifically the right to make decisions about their own bodies.’
‘This is a right our state has protected for decades. We’re taking common sense steps to restore the rights Oregonians’ had before Roe was overturned,’ the spokesperson continued. ‘This bill does not tell doctors or patients what medical decisions to make, nor change parental consent protocols, nor allow doctors to go against standard medical procedure.’
‘Following standard process, this bill has been thoroughly vetted by multiple committees, subject-matter experts, and the public,’ they continued. ‘Republicans followed these same procedures when they were in the majority.’
Additionally, the bill would require gender-affirming care that is medically prescribed to be covered under insurance.
Oregon Democrats made the bill one of their top priorities after Roe v. Wade was overturned last year.
Democrat Rep. Tawna Sanchez did not immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
