Planned Parenthood Reacts to Supreme Court Opinion Erasing the Constitutional Right to Abortion

News Release from Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette
Posted on FlashAlert: June 24th, 2022 10:40 AM

Today, the Supreme Court overturned nearly 50 years of precedent and eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, stripping people of the right to control their own bodies.

By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court has now officially given politicians permission to control what we do with our bodies, deciding that we can no longer be trusted to determine the course for our own lives. This dangerous and chilling decision will have devastating consequences across the country, forcing people to travel hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles for care or remain pregnant. 

But make no mistake: This decision goes beyond abortion. This wrongful ruling is about who has power over you, who has the authority to make decisions for you and who can control how your future is going to be. This is the first time the Supreme Court has gone back on an individual right it previously established. It is a dark day for our country, but this is far from over. We will not compromise on our bodies, our dignity or our freedom.

The court’s decision goes against the will of the American people, 80% of whom support legal abortion. In Oregon, voters have opposed every ballot measure to restrict access to abortion; the most recent attempt, 2018’s Ballot Measure 106, was defeated 64.5% to 35.6%.

While the right to an abortion is safeguarded in state statute, Oregonians will be directly affected by the end of Roe vs. Wade. A study by The Guttmacher Institute indicates that Oregon health centers could experience a 234% increase in out-of-state patients from states like Idaho where abortion will be immediately outlawed. An analysis in The New York Times indicates that Eastern Oregonians could see a 35% reduction in abortion access, forced to drive hundreds of miles to the nearest provider in Bend. 

The consequences of this devastating decision will fall largely on people who already face the greatest barriers to health care because of this country’s legacy of racism and discrimination, including Black, Latinx and Indigenous communities; people with low incomes; LGBTQ+ people; immigrants; and people living in rural areas.

Abortion is still legal in Oregon. Planned Parenthood health centers — with supportive  doctors, nurses and expert staff — continue to provide the care and resources you’ve come to rely on. We believe all people should have the right to control their own body, life and future — no matter where they live. Every day in every way, we’ll stop at nothing to make sure people have access to the essential health care they need.

Even with today’s devastating decision, abortion is still legal in many parts of the country. People who need care should go to abortionfinder.org.