On Wednesday, Representative Knute Buehler (R-Bend) announced his bid for Governor in 2018. In the Bend Bulletin, Buehler called himself “pro-choice,”
a claim that his 2017 voting record and history of accepting campaign contributions from Oregon Right to Life clearly discredit.
Rep. Buehler voted against 2017’s landmark Reproductive Health Equity Act, which was endorsed by a broad coalition of more than thirty organizations
committed to reproductive rights, racial justice, and gender equality.
“By joining his caucus in voting no, Buehler showed his unwillingness to stand up for pro-choice values and told thousands of Oregonians that partisanship
was more important than their access to reproductive health care,” said Grayson Dempsey, Executive Director for NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon.
The Reproductive Health Equity Act of 2017 passed the Oregon Senate just two days before the close of the legislative session and is expected to be signed
by Governor Kate Brown this month. The bill codifies the right to legal abortion in Oregon and protects and expands the essential reproductive health benefits
covered by the Affordable Care Act. The bill was co-sponsored by 35 legislators in the House and Senate and passed despite unanimous opposition from Republicans.
“No candidate can call themselves pro-choice and then vote to deny access to contraception, abortion, and postpartum care. Buehler is a fake moderate whose
conservative, anti-abortion agenda is out of step with the values of the majority of Oregonians,” said Grayson Dempsey.
NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon PAC supports candidates statewide who advocate tirelessly to improve public health by increasing access to comprehensive reproductive
healthcare, including safe and legal abortion.
