Governor Tina Kotek signed into law the two contentious bills that contributed to Oregon’s longest strike in history on Thursday.
The freedom to abortion and care that is gender-affirming is expanded by House Bill 2002, and ghost firearms are outlawed by House Bill 2005. Both pieces of legislation were approved in June with a number of changes as part of a deal to terminate a Senate boycott that had lasted for several weeks.
The tweet below confirms the news:
The two controversial bills that helped spur Oregon's longest walkout in history were signed into law Thursday by Governor Tina Kotek.https://t.co/Bb0DklH2Qd
— KATU News (@KATUNews) July 14, 2023
When senators were first scheduled to vote on HB 2002 and 2005 at the beginning of May, the Senate Republican-led strike began.
Initially, HB 2002 would have permitted minors under 15 to choose an abortion without parental permission. It was changed to require consent unless a medical professional finds that involving the parents would put the adolescent in danger. It also maintains protections for abortion providers and mandates that insurance companies pay for gender-affirming care.
The sale of “ghost guns”—i.e., firearms without a serial number—will still be prohibited by HB 2005. It was stripped of the provisions that would have made it unlawful for anyone under 21 to buy certain firearms and empowered local governments to outlaw carrying a concealed weapon in specified locations.
We’ll update you if this news changes. Visit our website Focushillsboro for the latest news on this issue.
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