NIRH Applauds Historic Investment of Abortion Funding in Oregon State Budget, Condemns Passage of Idaho’s 6-Week Ban

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2022
Contact: Kelly Novak, [email protected]

NEW YORK – The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) strongly praises Oregon’s $15 million budget allocation for abortion access included in its state budget, and commends the elected leaders and advocates at Pro-Choice Oregon who championed this critical funding.

The Oregon Reproductive Equity Fund will be administered by Seeding Justice, and will cover abortion procedures, travel, lodging, and will expand provider network capacity for Oregonians and those who travel to Oregon for care. This bold, groundbreaking funding model will strengthen the infrastructure of access to abortion care in the northwest, and comes on the heels of Idaho passing a draconian 6-week abortion ban and in anticipation of the gutting or outright overturning of Roe v. Wade this summer.

“Oregon’s passage of abortion access funding is a terrific example of the leadership and practicality we absolutely need from state legislatures right now,” said Andrea Miller, president of NIRH. “We are so proud of our partners at Pro-Choice Oregon for all of the work they do to protect and expand abortion access in Oregon and beyond.”

“We call on other governors and state legislatures to follow Oregon’s lead. We need state and local leaders everywhere to step up for the needs of their constituents. And with the patchwork of abortion access in this country growing more continually more stark, there is no time to waste,” Miller continued. “This is a bold initiative that will bridge the impact for many people seeking care – including not only Oregonians who already face barriers to accessing care, but also to neighbors in Idaho, where abortion is now effectively banned.”

“While everyone deserves affordable abortion care in their own community, we know that the reality is medically unnecessary abortion bans push abortion care out of reach for too many. This funding will help mitigate that harm caused by the Idaho legislature and other anti-abortion politicians across the country.”

Each year NIRH partners with reproductive health, rights, and justice advocates in states and cities across the country to protect and advance access to reproductive health care. In 2021 and 2022, NIRH has partnered with Pro-Choice Oregon and the Northwest Abortion Access Fund. Building off our successful work together in 2021 to secure municipal funding for abortion in Portland, in 2022 NIRH, Pro-Choice Oregon, and Northwest Abortion Access Fund partnered again to achieve state-level investment in reproductive health care. 

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The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) is an advocacy group that works directly with state and local reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations and allied groups to protect and advance access to reproductive healthcare. For more than 40 years, NIRH has been partnering with communities to build coalitions, launch campaigns, and successfully advocate for policy change. NIRH’s strategy is to go on the offensive and focus on communities where change is needed, so the fabric of reproductive freedom becomes harder to tear apart.