Supreme Court removes constitutional protection for abortion

Not everyone in the Gorge saw the ruling as a taking of rights. When contacted, Lisa Evans, chairwoman, Klickitat County Republicans, said the decision was "momentous."

"Any day that moves toward protecting life is a momentous day," she said. "Any action that protects the heartbeat of someone ... is a day worth celebrating. The Klickitat County Republicans firmly believe that a strong family is the core for building a strong nation, and we will continue to stand up for the sanctity of human life at all stages of development."

The Supreme Court ruling will not end abortions in the states of Oregon or Washington.

According to the Hood River Health Department, reproductive health services remain unchanged in Oregon. "The ... decision overturning Roe v. Wade will not change the legality of reproductive health services, including abortion, in the State of Oregon," the department said in a statement. “The health department will continue to offer confidential family planning and reproductive health services for all genders.”

Responding to a request for comment, Mid-Columbia Medical Center said, "Like many healthcare organizations, we are carefully reviewing the recent Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade  and working to fully understand the impact it will have on our patients and healthcare providers. There will be a balance to providing care that is consistent with a patient’s 'values and health' as well as navigating a network of legal requirements."

Erinn Quinn, MSN, ARNP, director of Public Health for Klickitat County, said she was saddened by the ruling. "I am personally deeply saddened by the decision of the Supreme Court and for the inevitable negative impacts to womens health across America.  We are fortunate that in Washington State reproductive health options, conversations, and decisions will continue to be supported and encouraged as an individual choice and right.

Klickitat County Health Department will continue to welcome and support all individuals seeking reproductive health services and referrals regardless of who they are, how they identify, and where they live, she said.

In a statement, Providence Hood River said, "While today's Supreme Court decision regarding Dobbs vs. Jackson overturns key aspects of Roe vs. Wade, it does not change Providence's unwavering commitment to the health of women.

"While elective abortions are not performed in Providence facilities based on our belief that every life is sacred, we do not deny emergency care. When it comes to complex pregnancies or situations in which a woman’s life is at risk, our clinicians exercise their best medical judgment and provide all necessary interventions to protect and save the life of the mother," the release stated.

Protest

Banners were abundant at Gorge rallies: "My abortion made me a better mother," read one. "End Abortion: Mandate Vasectomy," read another. "The system is run by White Supremacists," stated a third.

Additional signs proclaimed: "If God doesn’t control my choices, why should YOU," "My body is not government property," "Choice is Power Fight for ours," "Mind your own uterus," "We won’t go back," "Let the Despair Radicalize U," "We aren’t ovary-acting," "Banning abortion impacts everyone. We should all fight accordingly," "Anything you can do, I can do bleeding," "Women’s rights are equal rights, "Abortion is healthcare," and "Our Bodies Our Choice End of Story."

In a statement, Columbia Gorge Women’s Action Network said, “We are heartbroken and angry, and deeply concerned about the consequences of this decision for individuals and families throughout the country. In partnership with the Digital Defense Fund, we are hosting a free Post-Roe Community Action Workshop on Wednesday, July 20, from 6-8 p.m. Those who attend will learn practical ways to help friends, neighbors, and people traveling from nearby states get the reproductive health care they need. For more information about the workshop and to reserve a seat, email cgwomensactionnetwork@gmail.com.”

Politics

U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley of Oregon both immediately released statements regarding the ruling.

“We knew this decision was coming, but that doesn’t make it any less horrifying. The court has betrayed and defied the American people, who are rightfully terrified that the most powerful people in the country are clearly eager to violate their privacy and the basic human right to control their own bodies," Wyden said in a statement.

“Today’s radical decision to overturn Roe v. Wade tosses out a half century of legal precedent, curtails the fundamental rights of women, and jeopardizes the health and safety of millions of people across the country. These radical Justices have ensured American women today have fewer rights than their grandmothers had decades ago — rights that have proven essential to the health, economic participation and freedom of people to control their own bodies. To be clear, the anti-abortion movement won’t stop here. What’s next is the criminalization of abortion — women and doctors in jail, or worse."

Sen. Jeff Merkley said, "When you have to make the most intimate, personal decisions that will impact your life and your health and body, I don’t know anyone who wants some politician in the room. Yet, that is exactly the impact of this Supreme Court opinion for millions and millions of Americans, who suddenly find an overbearing government dictating their path. This assault on Americans’ rights and freedom is shocking."

Washington U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said, “Today, Republicans dragged this country backwards by half a century. Republicans ripped away our rights and made this generation the first generation of American women with fewer rights than their mothers. Republicans are forcing women to stay pregnant and give birth when they don’t want to — no matter the circumstances. Republicans are even passing laws to jail women who get abortions and the doctors who provide them.

“And right here in the Senate, it was Republicans who stacked our Supreme Court with anti-abortion justices, who blocked Democrats’ efforts to protect abortion rights, and who right now are pushing for a federal abortion ban.

"Every American needs to understand that this is a real crisis that will affect millions of people across this country, including here in Washington state — Republicans are pushing for a federal abortion ban and Roe v. Wade is no longer settled law. But we aren’t going to stand idly by while they rip away abortion rights, or go after birth control next. We are going to stand up and fight back with our voices and our votes — to protect the right of every woman to make her own health care decisions. The American people will not forget Republicans’ cruelty — not today, not tomorrow, and not this November," Murray said.

Many Democrat state lawmakers also distributed statements. No Republican lawmakers in Oregon had done so as of press time.

Oregon Representative Anna Williams told Columbia Gorge News, "Even with advanced notice that this decision was coming, I’m heartbroken about it. It will unjustly deprive tens of millions of people of their fundamental right to make private decisions about their bodies, their families, and their futures. It is a giant step backward that will echo for decades through our economy, our criminal justice system, our child welfare systems, and countless other spaces.

"Thankfully, the Oregon Legislature has protected the right to reproductive health care by codifying it in state law and has taken further action this year to expand this fundamental right. Still, all Americans — no matter who they are or where they live — deserve the dignity of choosing when they are ready to have children, and all children deserve parents who have the means, the energy, and the emotional resources to care for them."