Taiwo Popoola
Governor of Oregon, Tina Kotek, has signed a proclamation that will make March 10 “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day.”
Kotek said the development is an effort to reaffirm her administration’s commitment to maintaining access to abortion care across the state.
According to her, abortion is healthcare, and providers are appreciated and can continue to provide care without interference and intimidation in Oregon.
The governor said she will continue to work with providers to monitor and identify ways to mitigate federal threats to reproductive care.
“Oregon leads the nation with the strongest protections to access reproductive health care, including abortion. In these uncertain times, I’ll safeguard our values,” Kotek wrote in a post on X.
However, some Oregon Senate Republicans slammed Kotek for focusing on “abortion provider appreciation” over fixing other issues in the state.
Also, the Pro-Life group “Oregon Right to Life” reacted to Kotek’s proclamation and said they would not be supporting the measure.
According to Oregon Health Authority data, of the 10,075 abortions provided in Oregon in 2023, 1,661 were patients who reside out-of-state, reflecting a nearly 60% increase from the prior year.