Oregon pushes bill to let 'minor of any age' have abortion without parental awareness or consent

The Oregon state legislature introduced bill in March that would allow minors of any age to have an abortion without parental knowledge. An attorney for the legislative office, Lori Anne Sills, claimed in an April 13th Ways and Means committee meeting, that "under the current law it is not entirely clear at what age a minor can make the determination to have an abortion without parental consent."

She said, "under HB 2002A, however, a minor of any age can make that determination."  When asked by State Senator Tim Knopp, "so a 10-year old can make that decision on their own," she responded with, "yes."

The senator responded and said, "that’s just shocking."

Senator Knopp raised issues about the bill affecting "a parents right to have information about their child and make health care decisions," he noted "under the 14th Amendment of the constitution… the court upheld a fundamental right for a parent to oversee care, custody, and control of a child."

In response, the attorney claimed that the Supreme Court has said "that right is not necessarily absolute," and that "as long as the state has a legitimate public policy reason for interfering with that right, they can."

Senator Knoop also raised concerns that HB2002 would lead to the repeal of Oregon statute ORS § 167.820 which says it's a crime to conceal the birth of an infant. His concern was that nobody would be held accountable if a baby, which was born alive due to a failed abortion, was left to die. 

The attorney claimed that "nothing in the repeal of 167.820 would affect that situation." 

HB 2002 seeks to make Oregon the latest sanctuary state for abortion and "gender affirming care," allowing minors to seek medical procesdures and drugs without parental consent inside that state. The attorney noted that a child "of any age" can make the determination about their reproductive health care without parental consent. 

HB2002 was brought forward by primary sponsors Andrea Valderrama and Travis Nelson, both state Representatives, and state Senators Katherine Lieber and Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, all Democrats. The bill has 35 additional sponsors across the legislature and has no GOP backers.

At one point Senator Steiner, co-chair of the committee, said, "surgical procedures under the age of 18 is not considered standard care." She added, "a child as young as 8 may get 'gender affirming care,' that is simply supporting them for being who they are."

Other states such as California and Colorado have also become sanctuary states when it comes to abortion, and a number of others have done so in regards to medicalized transition of minors.