Forced by a court order, Oregon taxpayers have paid for abortions for women receiving public assistance since 1984.[i] Millions of dollars have been lost to abortion.
Since the court’s interference, Oregon has struggled to enact meaningful limitations on abortions, including funding restrictions supported by most taxpayers. One-third of all abortions in Oregon are paid for by taxpayers, according to the Oregon 2012 Petition Committee. From 2003 to 2009, that amounted to $11.1 million in state taxpayer dollars spent on 26,000 abortions.
But Oregon taxpayers are fighting back.
Pro-life Oregonians are currently seeking signatures to get Citizen Initiative #25—a state constitutional amendment that would prohibit public funding for most abortions in the state—placed on the November ballot. The deadline is July 2nd.
Efforts to end public funding are truly life-saving. The Guttmacher Institute, which advocates for unfettered, taxpayer-funded access to abortion, confirms that more women have abortions when they are covered by public programs.[ii] Eliminating taxpayer funding for abortion-on-demand in Oregon will unquestionably protect many women, save the lives of their unborn children, and defend the conscience rights of Oregonians who view abortion as what it is—ending the life of an innocent child.
The Oregon measure, based on AUL model legislation, is intended to prevent state funding of abortion. The language is simple, practical, and clear. It has been enacted in other states. It has been shown to be effective, and it can go into effect immediately.
To end this court-imposed taxpayer funding of abortion, pro-life Oregonians have asked for support. The Petition Committee’s website provides information on how Oregon citizens can sign the petition and encourage their family, friends, and colleagues to sign as well. Please take a moment to lend your support.
[i] See Planned Parenthood Assn. v. Dept. of Human Res., 297 Ore. 562 (1984).
[ii] See Heather D. Boonstra, The Heart of the Matter: Public Funding of Abortion for Poor Women in the United States, Guttmacher Policy Review, Winter 2007, Vol. 10, No. 1, available at http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/gpr/10/1/gpr100112.html (last visited on Mar. 23, 2011).
