Salem, Ore. — Oregon senators on Tuesday voted to approve a bill that will establish August 25 as “Oregon Adoption Day.”
The Oregon Senate approved the bill, HB 2019, in a unanimous vote Tuesday afternoon. Republican Representative Lucetta Elmer, the carrier and presenting sponsor of the bipartisan bill, said the date chosen reflects the day Rep. Elmer herself had been adopted.
“The day this bill recognizes is not just a date on a calendar: It’s my day,” Rep. Elmer said on the House Floor in April. “The day that forever changed my story, gave me a future, and placed me in the arms of a mother who chose me as her own, and ultimately led me here today, talking to you.”
“I’m delighted to see the Oregon legislature so enthusiastically welcome Rep. Elmer’s bill to honor and celebrate adoption,” Oregon Right to Life Executive Director Lois Anderson said in response to the May 13 vote. “This bill sends a powerful message that every human life is a unique gift, regardless of the circumstances. It’s a message we desperately need here in Oregon, where abortion is tragically legal up to the moment of birth.”
“I want to express my gratitude for Rep. Elmer’s vulnerability in sharing her story and her courage in presenting this important piece of legislation,” Anderson continued. “I look forward to celebrating Oregon Adoption Day this year, and hope that the bipartisan support for HB 2019 sets a precedent for the passage of many life-affirming bills in the future.”
The Tuesday vote, which follows a similarly unanimous approval by the state House of Representatives last month, will send the bill to the desk of Democratic Governor Tina Kotek for a signature.
Oregon Right to Life believes in the sanctity of all human life from the moment of conception to natural death. Abortion ends the life of a genetically distinct, growing human being. We oppose abortion at any point of gestation.
For media inquiries or interviews, please contact ORTL communications director Ashley Sadler at 503-683-3097 or ashley@ortl.org.
