“At common law, abortion was not illegal until the woman could feel the fetus move,” Jay said. Abortion was legalized in 1970. Previously, it was illegal in the state, with a therapeutic exception when the mother`s life was in danger. [14] In 1971, the state repealed its law, which made it a criminal offense to induce an abortion. [15] [16] Hawaii, New York, Alaska and Washington were the first states to repeal their abortion laws prior to Roe v. the Wade era. [17] Nevertheless, the 1971 state law required that any woman who had a legal abortion in the state must reside for a period of between 30 and 90 days. [16] In Washington politics, the Washington State Democratic Party supports access to abortion, while the Washington State Republican Party opposes abortion, which has led to Republican bills that would restrict or prohibit abortion. Since Democrats have a majority in the state legislature, anti-abortion laws created by Republicans are repeatedly defeated. [1] [2] [3] As of 2017, Washington State, New Mexico, Illinois, Alaska, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey allow certain qualified non-physicians to prescribe drugs only for medical abortions. [18] In August 2018, the state passed a law to protect abortion rights. [19] In February 2019, the Attorney General of the State of Washington issued an opinion that the clause was only inapplicable to physicians under the Washington State Abortion Act (I-120) and that aspiration and medical abortion before viability fell within the scope of nurses and medical assistants.
[20] As of May 14, 2019, the state prohibits abortions after the fetal has been viable, usually between the 24th and 28th week. This period uses a standard adopted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 with Roe v. Wade. [21] [22] Although these restrictions were not supported by many supporters, the compromises led to an unexpected coalition in favor of reform. It would be surprising today if legislative votes in the House and Senate to approve the referendum came from both political parties before the bill was signed into law by Republican Governor Dan Evans and sent to voters. It would be another surprise if the organization that led the efforts to decriminalize abortion is completely bipartisan, involving as many men as women. It was the timing of the referendum 20 that made it the shortest of the five eras of abortion law and policy in Washington. When Roe v. Wade was enacted in 1973, the Washington Act of 1970 remained in effect, but Stewart Jay says it has become unenforceable. The efforts of the popular campaign and the message to voters of Washington Citizens for Abortion Reform have been effective. In a letter to supporters, Helen Bonds said: “The feedback we received was that our campaign was `educational` and `tasteful`, the contrast was stark in the way the two campaigns were conducted.” 78 She was convinced that WCAR`s cautious message, which emphasized abortion as a health decision to be made by a family, resonated more with voters than the controversial campaign message promoted by The Voice.for unborn children. The careful crafting of WCAR`s message, with input from legislators, health care providers, clergy and its grassroots volunteers, appears to have been key to R-20`s success. 2Cassandra Tate wrote about the campaign for HistoryLink.org. Washington Abortion Reform Stateâ.HistoryLink.org Essay 5313. My research deepens the story. The main sources for this report are Washington Citizens for Abortion Reform Records, 1963-1970, Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries; the State Legislative Archives, including the Senate Journal and the House Journal, various Washington State newspapers; and interviews Cassandra Tate conducted for HistoryLink.org. In many other states, however, the law is different. If you live outside of Washington State, talk to your doctor or call an abortion clinic that serves your area to learn about your rights. See “Where can I have an abortion?” above. See also the important information below under “Costs and Coverage” on the confidentiality of insurance statements.
The Northwest Abortion Access Fund and the National Abortion Federation maintain lists of abortion providers in Washington State. Among the clinics we fund, Cedar River Clinics and our four Planned Parenthood subsidiaries offer abortion services. It depends on the type of abortion and the week of pregnancy. In Washington State, physicians and advanced registered nurse practitioners (PRNRs) can perform abortion procedures at the clinic and prescribe pills for a medical abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy (weeks 1-13). After that, abortion is limited to clinical abortion procedures performed by a doctor. Karen Cooper says the overthrow of Roe without such a federal ban won`t have much impact in the state of Evergreen. Morning-after pills and other non-invasive forms of abortion mean access is harder to restrict, and I-120 has achieved what its proponents set out to do, according to Webster v. Reproductive Health Services. What we know about voting for the unborn comes mainly from their newspaper advertisements and pamphlets collected by their opponents; Organization records not found.
But the available documents give an idea of the VFU campaign, showing that they focused on the meaning of the fetus` life and the negative social consequences that would result from legalizing abortion. The VFU has drawn attention to the topic with controversial and disturbing publicity. And much of their efforts went into this publicity, although Voice for the Unborn also had an impressive field operation, with a plan to knock on more than 40,000 doors between September 17 and the general election.29 However, VFU efforts ultimately failed to prevent the passage of the referendum.20 and they may even have been a factor in its adoption. Comparing the infrastructure of the Washington Citizens for Abortion Reform campaign and its media coverage with that of VFU, it becomes clear that WCAR was better organized to convince voters to vote in favor of the referendum 20. The decriminalization of abortion was controversial at the national level, and several states had decriminalized it in different ways before 1970. At the state level, the controversial nature of the issue has been widely reported in the press. Seattle Times. Write or record a statement explaining what happened. As the effects of the Supreme Court leak continue to fuel debates, protests, and political maneuvering over the future of abortion rights, it`s worth noting that Washington voters have approved the pro-choice vote twice in the past, including a few years before Roe v. Wade and again in 1991. On November 3, 1970, abortion was legalized by Washington state voters.
Referendum 20 won the support of 56.49% of those who participated in the 1970 general election. There were significant regional differences in the structure of aid. Voters in counties west of the Cascade Mountains voted overwhelmingly for R-20, with the exception of Lewis, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. Voter turnout was particularly high in King, Grays Harbor and Pacific County, where more than 70 percent of voters voted R-20. King County was crucial. “No” votes outstripped “no” votes by a margin of more than 100,000.65That West Washington supported the measure would come as no surprise today, as Puget Sound counties have held elections for liberal candidates and social-liberal elections for several decades. For example, the recent 74 referendum on legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington State in 2012 showed that the counties with the highest population density often determine the choice verdict. 66 ✓ You have the right to choose an abortion. ✓ You have the legal right to choose a child. ✓ No one can make this decision for you, even if you are under 18. Meanwhile, supporters of the House of Representatives managed to pass the bill from the previous session on January 24, 1970.
Perhaps one of the most liberal abortion laws in the country, the House version simply eliminated all criminal penalties for women seeking abortions and the doctors who would perform it, thereby establishing an unlimited right to perform an abortion.15 This posed a strategic challenge to WCAR, as it was clear that the more conservative Senate would not approve of the House`s action. Fearing that the legislature would again fail to pass new legislation, Senator Pritchard and WCAR leaders expected that even some lawmakers who refused to support a new bill would accept a referendum that would put the issue to a popular vote. This would require a new bill that would pass both houses, signed by the governor and approved by the people of Washington with a simple majority on the ballot.16 Find out if your insurance will pay for an out-of-state abortion. Rep. Lois North (R-King County), an early proponent of access to abortion procedures, responded to Hurley and fought for SB 68.