Oregon is out of step with an unprecedented wave of states passing pro-life laws preventing abortions after six or eight weeks. Nine states passed laws in 2019, and in 2021, 46 states introduced 536 pro-life bills with 61 new pro-life laws, many recognizing the civil rights of unborn children. In Oregon, six abortion bills were introduced, but none received a hearing.

Two bills in Oregon are aimed at live birth abortions that take place after a fetus is viable and would survive. HB 2699, and SB 586 requires health care practitioner to exercise proper degree of care to preserve health and life of child born alive after abortion or attempted abortion. It requires the health care practitioner to ensure a child born alive is transported to a hospital.

The bill defines “born alive” as the complete expulsion or extraction of a child from a person at any stage of the child’s development and after the expulsion or extraction, the child is breathing or has a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether the umbilical cord has been severed or not. Expulsion or extraction may occur by natural or induced labor, cesarean section or induced abortion.

On June 10, Senator Kim Thatcher moved to withdraw SB 586 from the Committee on Health Care for discussion on the floor. The motion to withdraw failed with 11 Ayes, and 18 Nays. The vote was along party line with Democrats voting Nay.

Senator Thatcher’s explanation was to “close a gap in Oregon law providing protection for a child. The Federal Born Alive Infants Act defines the infants as persons but there are no guarantees they are entitled to the same level of medical care as a baby born of the same age. This bill would have made it clear that a baby surviving a failed abortion receive the same medical care as a baby born of the same gestation age without the attempted abortion.”

Senator Thatcher goes on to describe that a “January 2020 survey shows there is strong bi-partisan support for this concept in Oregon. Seventy-eight percent of Oregonians believe that a baby that survives a failed abortion should be given the same level of medical care that a baby otherwise born of the same age. We always try and protect the most vulnerable among us and who is more vulnerable that this tiny little human. These babies should be given the same level of care regardless of how they are brought into this world.”

Senator Linthicum also made a vote explanation saying, “the issue isn’t whether it’s a failed abortion or not, the issue is worthy of debate because it would simply allow a live human being to be treated with the same level of care as any other live new born human being. This is worthy of debate on the Senate floor as an important ideological discussion.”


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-06-12 12:00:34

Last Update: 2021-06-13 14:41:50