House passes HB 2002. Removes parental rights and right to know

–House Republican Leader Issues Statement Following Passage of House Bill 2002 B: Legal Issues, Too Extreme for Oregon
— Republicans Defending Transparency: Protecting Oregonians Right to Know
By Oregon House Republican Office,

Salem, OR –Representative Emily McIntire (R-Eagle Point) called for a point of order on the House floor highlighting House Bill 2002 B’s noncompliance with ORS 171.134 and House Rules 14.15. Speaker Rayfield and Legislative Counsel made a ruling to unlawfully continue the debate and vote on House Bill 2002 B in its current form. Republicans plan on doing everything within our power to uphold the law. Including seeking remedy from the courts for the unlawful actions by the presiding officers.

Article IV, Section 21 of the Oregon Constitution requires every legislative act to be plainly worded, avoiding as far as practicable the use of technical terms. ORS 171.134 requires all measure summaries prepared by the Legislative Assembly to “be written in a manner that results in a score of at least 60 on the Flesch readability test.” As stated in the letter, House Bill 2002 B has a Flesch readability of 14, which falls well below the required score of 60.

In addition to ORS 171.134, House Rule 14.15 states that no measure can be accepted by the Chief Clark if it is not accompanied by an impartial summary of the measure’s content which clearly describes the new law and changes in existing law proposed by the measure.

“Today is a sad day for Oregon. Despite a clear violation of the Oregon Constitution, House Rules, and Oregon’s Revised Statute – the Democratic majority pushed House Bill 2002 B through after 10 hours of debate,” said House Republican Leader Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville). “We know our democracy functions best when everyday Oregonians are engaged in a transparent and vetted process.”

House Bill 2002 B passed out of the House with a final vote of 36-23. If passed in the Senate and signed into law by the Governor, this legislation will allow the following:

• Minors below 15 to obtain abortions without parental consent. A doctor may not disclose this information to a child’s parent unless the child provides explicit written permission.
• Expands the use of taxpayer dollars for irreversible sex-changing treatments and procedures – including sterilization for those as young as 15 – without parental consent.
• Mandates private insurers to cover these procedures, allowing minors to undergo treatment on their parents’ insurance without their knowing.
• Vastly expands the types of irreversible sex-changing treatments and procedures funded by Oregon taxpayers. These services will be offered through the Healthier Oregon program, which provides health coverage to low-income individuals who would qualify for Medicaid except for immigration status and who “live in Oregon.” According to the Oregon Health Authority, there’s no time requirement to establish residency.

“This legislation is an egregious violation of the sacred relationship between a parent and a child. As a mom, I can say with absolute certainty that the State of Oregon does not know more about the needs of my children better than I do. It is insulting and infuriating,” said House Republican Leader Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville).