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Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe vs. Wade, advocates and state leaders in Oregon and Washington are scrambling to figure out a response.
On this week’s show, OPB political reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake and health reporter Amelia Templeton examine what the decision means and what fights are coming next.
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade yesterday puts the power to allow or ban abortions in the hands of state governments. In Oregon and Washington abortion remains a fully legal health procedure, protected by state law. But that’s not the case in several other states, here abortion clinics are already closing. OPB’s health reporter Amelia Templeton joined “All Things Considered” host Tiffany Camhi to discuss how the decision could affect the Northwest.
The US Supreme Court today ended nearly 50 years of the constitutional right to an abortion. But along the West Coast, abortion rights are still protected. Martha Reilly is a doctor with Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon who joined OPB to explain what the effect the Supreme Court decision will have on Oregonians.
"Pro-lifers, take this opportunity & step up in your community," Oregon Right to Life said in a tweet that called for more support for unsupported pregnant people. The ACLU of Oregon, Planned Parenthood and top public health officials, meanwhile, emphasized that abortion remains free and legal in the state.