Opinion: Washington State Senate Democrats propose Constitutional amendment on abortion rights

Clark County resident Leah Anaya believes it’s important and necessary for pro-lifers to step up and support women following their choosing of life

Leah Anaya
For Clark County Today

Just in time for Christmas, Washington State Senate Democrats delivered to the pro-abortion left by presenting a Constitutional amendment to include an “individual’s” right to receive an abortion. The resolution, Senate Joint Resolution 8202, would require a two-thirds majority vote to pass the Senate, which means three of the 19 Republican State Senators would have to vote with the 30 Democrats. Should the resolution make it out of the Senate and then the House, the decision would then fall to the people of Washington state to determine whether the amendment to the state Constitution would be made.

Both sponsors are Democrats from King County – 33^rd Legislative District Sen. Karen Keiser and 48^th Legislative District Sen. Patty Kuderer. The amendment section is titled “Reproductive Freedom” and reads in part as follows: “The state shall not deny or interfere with an individual’s reproductive freedom decisions, which includes the individual’s fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and the individual’s fundamental right to choose to use contraception.”

As it stands, abortion is already deemed a right to “individuals” in Washington state, thanks to 2022’s House Bill 1851, the “Affirm Washington Abortion Access” bill signed by Gov. Jay Inslee in March of this year. In the Affirm Washington Abortion Access bill, language was changed in existing law to include the right of all “individuals” who may become pregnant to receive an abortion, not just women. That bill passed 28-21 in the Senate, 57-41 in the House.

Democrat Tim Sheldon (35^th Legislative District representing Mason County and parts of Kitsap and Thurston counties) voted with all Senate Republicans against the bill. Since that vote, 42^nd Legislative District (Whatcom County) Republican Sen. Simon Sefzik has been replaced by Democrat Sharon Shewmake.

Prior to the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v Wade in the Dobbs decision, and after the Affirm Washington Abortion Access passed the House and Senate, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocated CEO Jennifer Allen praised Inslee for signing the bill. “Today is a much-needed celebration of our state’s dedication to abortion rights,” she said, “at a time when we’re facing the most significant threat to abortion that our country has seen in over a generation. Everyone deserves the freedom to make their own decisions about their bodies and their lives, including the decision to have an abortion. This law guarantees that our state will not only safeguard abortion rights, but will go even further to expand access to reproductive health care for Washingtonians and for patients across the country.”

Since the fall of Roe, about a dozen states have either banned or severely restricted abortion. With Wednesday’s vote, Odessa, Texas has become the 62^nd city nationwide to ban the act.

Clark County Moms For America will be asking Republican Senators to vote against the attempt to enshrine abortion into the Washington State Constitution. The group, of which this author is the Washington state liaison, believes in the sanctity of life from conception. Further, the word “care” from last year’s Abortion Access bill is misleading: The leftist lawmakers and lobbyists for groups like Planned Parenthood say that they are advocating for women’s health (or rather, “individuals” who are pregnant), but the reality is very different. Abortion bans do not include a ban on treatment for things such as ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages; of course a woman whose life is at risk should have the right to health care for those reasons. Abortion bans across America are intended to protect the human life growing inside of the woman in question, as well as the woman’s health.

One major argument of pro-abortionists is that “women will die” without the ability to end an unwanted pregnancy, but those claims have already (and unsurprisingly) been refuted just in the first six months following the overturning of Roe. As mentioned above, a dozen states and 62 cities in the United States have banned or restricted abortion in some form, and, according to Life News, zero women have died as a result.

Another argument by the pro-abortionists, particularly in relation to Christians who are pro-life, is that those who support life over abortion do not support the same life once the abortion is avoided. This is one reason why it’s important and necessary for pro-lifers (whether they’re affiliated with a church or not), to step up and support women following their choosing of life. Clark County organizations like Life Options Network and Heather’s House are in operation for just that reason.

Leah Anaya is a regular Clark County Today contributor. She is a Clark County wife, mother and resident. She is the Washington state liaison for Clark County Moms For America.

Clark County resident Leah Anaya believes it’s important and necessary for pro-lifers to step up and support women following their choosing of life

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