OREGON
A6 — THE OBSERVER
SATURDAY, JULY 16, 2022
Oregon’s next governor will have a big say in abortion rights
By LAUREN DAKE
Oregon Public Broadcasting
SALEM — Across the country,
the U.S. Supreme Court’s deci-
sion to overturn the constitutional
right to an abortion has reshaped
contests for governor, raising the
stakes for a role that could serve
as the last line of defense in pro-
tecting a pregnant person’s right to
choose.
But in Oregon, after Roe v.
Wade was overturned, advocates
and politicians hailed the state as a
sanctuary for those seeking access
to an abortion. Oregon has some
of the strongest protections in the
country and politicians promised
it would continue
to be a safe haven
for those who come
from more restric-
tive states.
Those on the
front line of the
battle to retain
Drazan
access to abor-
tion warn, how-
ever, that Oregon is
not immune to the
political shifts that
caused the downfall
of Roe v. Wade.
Kotek
“There is abso-
lutely a sense of
complacency in our
state that the fact
that abortion is legal
and it will remain
legal,” said Grayson
Dempsey, who has
worked in the repro-
Johnson
ductive rights arena
for years. “It would be silly to
think fi ve hours to the east they
are passing laws to imprison abor-
tion doctors and passing bans at
six weeks, and we’re totally fi ne
because we have this state line.”
This November is expected
to be a red wave year across the
country, and Oregon’s next gov-
ernor could have a consequential
infl uence on the future of abor-
tion care in the state. Of the three
major candidates, two favor unre-
stricted access to abortion. One,
the Republican, called Oregon’s
current abortion laws “among the
most extreme in the country.”
Depending on which woman
wins the job, future conversations
about abortion rights — and other
privacy-related issues — could
look very diff erent in the state.
Abortion, and related
questions
It’s not simply a matter of
whether a candidate is for or against
access to abortion services.
The next governor will be instru-
mental in determining how much
state money is invested in repro-
ductive health care. The governor
holds the power to both propose and
veto budgets, which in Oregon have
often carved out money for repro-
ductive rights. Gov. Kate Brown,
who cannot run again due to term
limits, has also been supportive of
using taxpayer dollars, part of a
$15 million health equity fund, to
help people from other states get an
abortion in Oregon.
Former state Sen. Betsy
Johnson, who is running as an unaf-
fi liated candidate, has a long record
of supporting abortion access. Still,
she does not support using Oregon
tax dollars to help people from
other states access an abortion.
“Oregon tax dollars should be
spent on Oregonians,” said Johnson,
a former chair of the legislative bud-
get-writing committee.
The Republican candidate for
governor, former House Minority
Leader Christine Drazan, said
she opposes using state money to
help people access an abortion, no
matter if it’s a resident of Oregon or
another state.
Former House Speaker Tina
Kotek, the Democratic contender,
said she supports continuing the
current policy of using Oregon state
funds to help people from more
restrictive states access an abortion
Researchers studying
extreme NW weather
By JOE RAINERI
KGW News
PORTLAND — Over
the last couple of years, the
Pacifi c Northwest has seen
an increasing number of
extreme weather events.
From the megafi res in
2020 to the hottest tempera-
ture ever recorded at Port-
land International Airport
last summer — a high of 116
degrees on June 28, 2021.
Researchers with Port-
land State University and
Washington State Univer-
sity Vancouver are looking
into the factors that cause
those extremes, including
a weather pattern called an
atmospheric ridge.
Paul Loikith is an asso-
ciate professor of geography
and the director of Portland
State University’s Climate
Science Lab. He has teamed
up with Deepti Singh, an
assistant professor for the
School of the Environment at
Washington State University
Vancouver. Together, they
are studying atmospheric
ridge patterns and the impact
they have on our weather.
Atmospheric ridges, or
high-pressure systems, bring
in calmer weather and are
associated with drier and
sunny conditions. They can
also be responsible for heat
waves during the summer
months.
Loikith said they are
using a combination of his-
torical data going back to
the late 1970s and computer
models to better understand
the reason behind some of
the strong ridges.
Male juvenile fatally
shot in parking lot at
Baker Technical Institute
Baker City Herald
BAKER CITY — A
male juvenile was shot and
killed in the parking lot at
the Baker Technical Insti-
tute, on the Baker High
School campus, early on
Wednesday, July 13, and
another male juvenile has
been arrested in connection
with the shooting.
The shooting was
reported at 12:25 a.m.,
according to a press release
from the Baker County
Sheriff ’s Offi ce. The caller
told a dispatcher that the
shooting suspect had fl ed.
Baker City Police offi -
cers responded and found
a male juvenile with a gun-
shot wound. Eff orts to
save the victim were not
successful.
Police also found a
female juvenile at the scene
who was not hurt.
Police did not release the
names or ages of any of the
juveniles involved.
Greg Baxter, Baker
County district attorney,
said the suspect was being
taken to a juvenile detention
facility in The Dalles.
Baker Technical Institute
is at the northwest corner of
the BHS campus, north of
the gymnasium.
The Major Crime Team,
which includes representa-
tives from the Baker City
Police Department, Baker
County Sheriff ’s Offi ce
and Oregon State Police, is
investigating.
Employees from the
Oregon State Police crime
lab worked throughout the
early morning hours to col-
lect evidence and process
the scene.
There is no danger to
the public at this time,
according to the press
release.
The Baker School Dis-
trict sent out a notice,
stating, “Activities sched-
uled on the main High
School campus will con-
tinue. Please use the main
entry of the building. Any
activity scheduled in the
BTI wing is canceled until
further notice.”
The district also stated in
a press release that “those
who could use emotional
support at this time are
encouraged to reach out to
Karly Denton at the District
Offi ce: 541-524-2260.”
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /Oregon Public Broadcasting, File
Chloe Latuvnik, 13, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, right, chants with her mothers, Joy and
Marianne Latuvnik-Morin, left and center, as they attend a rally in downtown Portland
to protest the U.S. Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade, Friday, June 24, 2022.
here. Kotek said Oregon has long
been a leader in the reproductive
rights arena and she would further
that legacy.
The governor also sets the tone
on topics such as abortion.
After justices offi cially struck
down Roe v. Wade, Gov. Brown
announced she was creating a
“West Coast off ense” with the gov-
ernors of Washington and Cali-
fornia. The idea: to make the Dem-
ocrat-controlled West Coast a safe
haven for people in other states
seeking an abortion.
Brown has also made it clear,
as some other states move to crim-
inalize abortions, that she will not
direct state law enforcement to help
extradite any individual who comes
to Oregon to receive an abortion.
In 2017, Oregon lawmakers cod-
ifi ed the right to access an abortion
into state law. Like any law, it could
be undone, changed or chipped
away at by adding barriers that limit
access.
Christel Allen, executive
director with ProChoice Oregon,
said advocates are always working
behind the scenes to stop eff orts to
restrict access.
“I think folks might not rec-
ognize the amount of vigilance
that organizations and advocates
have been working on for the past
45 years,” Allen said. “We have a
dozen abortion bans introduced
every (legislative) session.”
Most never receive a legislative
hearing.
“That’s because we have (Dem-
ocratic) majorities, and it’s been
a moment since we have had a
Republican or anti-choice gov-
ernor,” Allen said.
More fi ghts to come
When Lois Anderson, execu-
tive director of Oregon Right to
Life, heard the U.S. Supreme Court
ruling, her reaction was one of joy,
she told OPB’s “Think Out Loud.”
Anderson said her group is working
on a bill for the 2023 legislative
session to ban abortions later in
pregnancy.
And, she noted, “There
is no right to abortion in the
constitution.”
On this point, too, the three can-
didates could chart vastly diff erent
paths. Both Kotek and Johnson said
they support the idea of enshrining
the right to access an abortion in the
state constitution.
OPB asked Drazan whether she
would support a constitutional eff ort
to enshrine the right to abortion and
other civil rights. She declined to
answer and instead off ered a state-
ment from her spokesperson: “Our
campaign is focused on addressing
high gas prices, homelessness,
crime, and our failing schools.
Christine has never shied away
from her pro-life values and her
affi rmation of marriage equality is
well established.”
Drazan’s statement makes sense
politically. For Republicans, it’s
politically smarter to focus on the
array of other pressing issues on
which Democrats might seem more
vulnerable to voters: the economy,
a spike in gas prices, public safety
and crime.
But for Democrats, it’s advan-
tageous to argue civil liberties are
on the ballot and to mobilize voters
who fear more rights being rolled
back.
John Horvick, with the polling
fi rm DHM Research, said surveys
generally show abortion rights con-
tinue to rank lower on the scale of
importance to voters than some of
the economic issues. After a major
news event, such as the SCOTUS
decision, there is some fl uctua-
tion in voter concerns, but it’s often
fl eeting, Horvick said.
After justices offi cially struck
down Roe v. Wade, Oregon poli-
ticians tweeted and sent out press
releases. There were large, but
limited, public protests. Someone
hurled a Molotov cocktail at the
Oregon Right to Life building.
But overall, the debate over per-
sonal freedom in the hotly contested
governor’s race has remained rela-
tively muted.
With about four months to go
before the election, however, that
could change. Despite what stance
they take, both sides agree the
Supreme Court ruling was just one
step in an ongoing battle.
People with HIV
are our neighbors.
More than half of Oregonians with HIV
live outside Portland, often in suburbs or
small towns like this one.
But with today’s advances, HIV isn’t what it used to be.
People with HIV are living longer, healthier lives, with the
help of medication. By talking about HIV, we can support
our community. Testing and early treatment protect you
and your partner. Help is available if you’re HIV+.
Learn more and find free testing at endhivoregon.org