WEATHERWATCH
Oregon House passes controversial reproductive rights, ghost gun bills that sparked Senate GOP-led walkout
The Senate chambers sits nearly empty at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Ore., Thursday, May 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

The two controversial bills that helped spur Oregon's longest walkout in history have now passed the House and Senate.

House Bill 2002 would expand the right to abortion and gender-affirming care, and House Bill 2005 looks to ban ghost guns. The bills now head to Gov. Tina Kotek for her signature.

The Senate Republican-led walkout started at the beginning of May, when senators were first set to vote on HB 2002 and 2005.

The boycott ended last week with a compromise on amendments that watered down both measures.

HB 2002 initially would have allowed those under 15 to decide on an abortion without parental consent. It was amended to require consent unless a medical provider determines parental involvement would be unsafe for the teen. It still requires insurance companies to cover gender-affirming care, and also still has protections for providers of abortion.

HB 2005 will still ban the sale of "ghost guns," or guns without a serial number. It was gutted of the portions that would have made it illegal for those under 21 to purchase certain guns, and would have allowed local governments to ban concealed carry in some places.

Some Oregon House Republicans stayed out Wednesday to avoid having to vote on the bills.

Democratic Rep. Travis Nelson, who sponsored HB 2002, says it's still a win for Democrats.

People knew that when Republicans chose to walkout out over this, because of their objections related to abortion, that to get them back into the building there would have to be some changes," said Nelson. "But by and large we kept the things that were important to us and my constituents seem to be happy about the way that things went with 2002."

Republican Rep. Emily McIntire said it will leave many Oregonians disenfranchised.

"I would like for everybody here to know about the hundreds of emails Republican caucus members have received from across the state, accusing us of being horrible people, and demanding that we walk out, and we chose to not do that," said Rep. McIntire.

The bills passed the House with votes on party lines. Most of the Republicans that were there spoke out against House Bill 2002.

There are just four days left until the end of the session and the House and Senate are continuing to move through hundreds of bills.

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