[Portland, OR] – With Idaho’s extreme, near-total abortion ban set to go into effect tomorrow, reproductive rights advocates made the case for electing Tina Kotek as Oregon’s next governor at a press conference in downtown Portland today.
Idaho’s abortion ban will limit access to health care services for Idahoans and many Eastern Oregonians. It will also criminalize physicians who perform most abortions with the threat of up to five years in prison.
In today’s press conference, leaders from Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon, Pro-Choice Oregon, and The Mother PAC explained why Tina is the only candidate they trust to defend and expand access to reproductive care, and explained how Republican Christine Drazan and conservative candidate Betsy Johnson could threaten access to care in Oregon.
“The Supreme Court stole our power to control our own bodies, our lives and personal medical decisions and handed that over to politicians. So, we are more fired up than ever to elect people who will stand up for our reproductive freedom,” said An Do, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon. “In Oregon, that means we need to elect Tina Kotek. Tina is the only candidate for Governor who Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon trusts to defend our rights.”
Today also marks the two-month anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade and remove the constitutional right to abortion. Montana Pindell, a volunteer of Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon who works as an abortion navigator to help patients access care, said: “We need to be clear: Idaho’s giant leap backward with this abortion ban will harm the entire region and should serve as another wakeup call for Americans: extremist, anti-abortion lawmakers won’t stop here. Our rights are under attack, and we need leaders like Tina Kotek to fight for us.”
“Tina is the only candidate in this race who has been a real champion for mothers and caregivers,” added Courtney Helstein, Political Director for Family Forward Action and The Mother PAC. “In contrast, Betsy Johnson and Christine Drazan were not champions that we could rely on when they served in the legislature. Both were more likely to side with corporate special interests than with working families.”
Christel Allen, Executive Director of Pro-Choice Oregon, set the record straight about Republican candidate Christine Drazan and the damage she could do to reproductive rights if elected:
“Drazan is endorsed by Oregon Right to Life, the same organization that is pushing for extreme abortion restrictions across the country. Drazan supported legislation in 2019 and 2020 that would have criminalized health providers for providing abortion care. Drazan says she doesn’t have the power to roll back our rights as Governor. I’m here today to tell you that this is absolutely not true.”
Allen further laid out several ways Drazan could block progress and roll back access to care if she’s elected:
- An anti-abortion governor like Drazan could stack the courts with anti-abortion judges, who could then be appointed to higher and higher courts and play decisive roles in the generational fight to restore our reproductive rights.
- An anti-abortion governor like Drazan could appoint anti-abortion agency leaders who would have the power to end programs and partnerships that the state currently has with clinics and other organizations that are providing essential reproductive health services across the state.
- And, an anti-abortion governor like Drazan could veto bills or budgets that aim to expand access to abortion, birth control, and sex education.
Allen also explained why reproductive rights champions don’t support conservative candidate Betsy Johnson:
“Betsy Johnson voted against Pro-Choice Oregon’s top priority in 2021 – legislation that would make sure reproductive and LGBTQ+ health services are protected during health care mergers and acquisitions. In 2015, Johnson voted against a bill that would help patients keep their reproductive health care choices private. Johnson has also criticized the Oregon Reproductive Health Equity Fund – a fund that is one of the main reasons why Oregon is considered the most protected state in the nation today. Johnson also appointed Bridget Barton, an anti-choice extremist, as one of her campaign chairs. Bridget Barton has even said, point blank, that as governor, Johnson would be ‘virtually identical’ to the anti-abortion candidate Christine Drazan when it comes to reproductive rights.”
Tina closed out the press conference thanking the advocates and doubling down on her commitment to protect and expand access to reproductive health care.
“As Governor, I will make sure that Oregon remains a beacon of hope for the rest of the country,” said Tina Kotek, the Democratic nominee for governor. “I will keep fighting to ensure every single Oregonian can access the reproductive health services they need – including abortion – no matter what.”