Oregon to vote on pro-life measure banning state funding for abortions

Oregon voters will decide whether the state should continue providing funding for abortion in November’s elections.

The Secretary of State’s office announced Friday that an initiative proposing to amend the Oregon constitution to prohibit state spending, or the spending of local public money, on abortion had gathered enough signatures to be placed on the ballot, according to a report from Oregon Public Broadcasting.

The initiative, which had been promoted by pro-life Oregon Life United PAC, gathered nearly 200 more signatures than the 117,578 valid signatures required to place the amendment on the ballot, the news site reported.

Oregon is one of 17 states that provides state funding for abortion, according to OPB.

The amendment sought by Oregon Life United would also ban the state from providing funding to low-income women for the procedure, or being included as part of taxpayer-funded health insurance plans for public employees.