Sometimes it’s hard to separate all the voices surrounding any controversial subject. Abortion is just one of those issues.
Without regard to any moral argument, many do have issues as to the funding of abortion.
Oregon 2014 has a goal to collect enough signatures to place a measure a measure on the ballot to stop paying for abortions using public money. Oregon is one the few states that has an initiative process that allows measures to be placed on the ballot with enough verified signatures.
A claim on Oregon 2014’s website stated, “In 2012 there were 9,015 abortions in Oregon. In fiscal year 2011-2012, 4,191 abortions were paid for by taxpayers via the Oregon Health Plan.”
This just seemed like something that needed some independent substantiation and Politifact Oregon decided to check it out.
Their research showed that these numbers were indeed true.
The Oregon Health Authority reported that abortions paid by the state fluctuated from 4,105 in 2002-03 to 3,424 in 2008-09 to 4,191 in 2011-12. This is the most up-to-date information available, said Karynn Fish, an OHA spokeswoman.
But a larger question remained.
“Isn’t there a restriction on using public money to finance abortions?”
Absolutely!
The Hyde Amendment was approved by Congress in 1976 prohibiting the use of public money to pay for abortions, except in case of rape or incest or to save the mother’s life, for the most part. This affects low-income women who receive health care through federal Medicaid.
Oregon’s Department of Human Resources issued a ruling that limited reimbursement for abortions in response to the Hyde Amendment. The people sued. The appellate court voted the rule unconstitutional, in that it violated the equal privileges and immunities clause of the Constitution. In 1984, the Oregon Supreme Court took a different approach, ruling that Human Resources had overstepped its rule-making authority, which was to pay for medical services for needy people.
The Oregon Health Plan uses a mix of federal and state monies to provide health care for low-income residents. Oregon in a group of several states that allow the use state taxpayer money for elective abortions.
Oregon 2014 is hoping to change that with Initiative Petition 6 by adding the following to the Oregon Constitution:
No public funds shall be used to pay for any abortion, except when medically necessary or as may be required by federal law.”
Jeff Jimerson said in an interview this week that volunteers have collected about 15,000 signatures and hope to reach 50,000 by the end of 2013. In order to qualify for the November 2013 ballot, they need an additional 116,284 valid signatures, and desire to present 150,000 signatures.
A similar effort to put the issue on the 2012 ballot failed with 70,000 signatures collected. “We just came up short,” he said.
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Oregon 2014 Petition Committee
P.O. Box 1620
Corvallis, OR 97339
info@oregon2014.org
541.497.1485