SENATE COMMITTEE ON RULES

June 24, 2003 Hearing Room HR B

3:00 PM Tapes 69 - 70

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Jason Atkinson, Vice-chair, Presiding

Sen. Ginny Burdick, Vice-chair

Sen. Roger Beyer

Sen. Tony Corcoran

MEMBER EXCUSED: Sen. Kate Brown, Co-chair

Sen. Bev Clarno, Co-chair

STAFF PRESENT: Jim Stembridge, Committee Administrator

Patricia Nielsen, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: HB 2547A – Public Hearing

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 69, A
005	Vice-chair Atkinson	Calls the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m. Opens as a subcommittee. Opens public hearing on HB 2547A, which requires information to be given to pregnant female 24 hours prior to abortion.
HB 2547A – PUBLIC HEARING
025	Rep. Betsy Close	District 15. Testifies in support of HB 2547A. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT A). Discusses side effects of abortion. Requests that women be given more information about the procedure.
080	Rep. Vic Backlund	District 25. Testifies in support of HB 2547A. Discusses states’ rights to govern conditions under which abortions are performed. Suggests women should be better informed of their choices.
135	Sen. Gary George	District 12. Testifies in support of HB 2547A. Stresses that the measure is about providing information.
185	Rep. Mary Nolan	District 36. Testifies in opposition to HB 2547A. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT B). Points out the measure is not necessary, because there is already sufficient care and counseling available and provided to pregnant women. Discusses burden on women in rural areas where medical resources are scarce.
275	Debra Lee Wyant	Testifies in support of HB 2547A. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT C). Discusses potential traumatic results of abortion on women.
TAPE 70, A
010	Paula Lang	Oregon Catholic Conference; social worker. Testifies in opposition to HB 2547A. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT D). Discusses traumatic effects of abortion on women, and need for additional information about alternatives.
085	Esther Ripplinger	Testifies in support of HB 2547A. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT E). Discusses experience during and after abortion.
150	Dr. James Mahoney	Physician. Testifies in opposition to HB 2547A. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT F). Suggests it is an inappropriate intrusion into the relationship between a women and her doctor. Points out the information to be supplied to the patient has not yet been developed.
209	Julie Powers	Nurse-practitioner; Planned Parenthood. Testifies in opposition to HB 2547A. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT G). Asserts that information and care currently available are adequate. Suggests health providers are required to provide information without a thorough examination.
265	Caroline Fitchett	Pro-Choice Coalition of Oregon. Testifies in opposition to HB 2547A. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT H). Discusses burden on women if required to wait an extra 24 hours before an abortion.
375	Dr. Grant Higginson	State Public Health Officer, Department of Human Services (DHS). Testifies in opposition to HB 2547A. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT I). Clarifies the Department is in favor of informed consent. Raises issues: · Sets different and more cumbersome standard from other procedures, with different legal consequences · Data does not support the need · Abortion is safe if early, more risky if delayed · Increased workload for the Department
TAPE 69, B
025	Rep. Carolyn Tomei	District 41. Testifies in opposition to HB 2547A. Describes background as psychiatric social worker. Discusses satisfaction of most women with their care during and after abortion. Recommends using the same standard as for other medical treatment.
095	Sen. Burdick	Asks about studies and whether they were peer reviewed.
100	Dr. Higginson	Discusses a Kaiser study.
105	Sen. Beyer	Asks about fiscal impact.
110	Dr. Higginson	Discusses costs, which are not included in the Governor’s budget.
115	Stembridge	Committee Administrator. Discusses the fiscal impact (EXHIBIT J).
125	Dr. Higginson	Explains the Department predicted $280,000 but did not have Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) information.
130	Sen. Beyer	Points out that it is in the Governor’s budget, and is already done.
135	Dr. Higginson	Offers to return additional information to the committee.
140	Rev. Paul Robinson	Clergy for Responsible Sexual Choices. Testifies in opposition to HB 2547A. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT K). Discusses different choices available to patients. Asserts it is not for the state to decide how the patient should choose.

195	Gayle Atteberry	Oregon Right to Life. Testifies in support of HB 2547A. Submits written information (EXHIBIT L). Asserts that women are not receiving adequate information about the procedures and choices available. Discusses excerpts from Supreme Court case about how a state may regulate the process.
365	Sen. Beyer	Asks about the yellow pages ads offering different services for pregnancies at different stages.
375	Atteberry	Responds it depends upon the clinic, and is not restricted by Oregon law in any way.
The following prepared testimony is submitted for the record without public testimony for HB 2547A:
	Rep. Donna Nelson	District 29. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT M).
	Marcia Kelley	Oregon Women’s Rights Coalition. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT N).
	Betty McChesney-Haus	American Association of University Women of Oregon. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT O).
	Margaret Noel	League of Women’s Voters. Submits written testimony (EXHIBIT P).
385	Vice-chair Atkinson	Closes public hearing on HB 2547A. Adjourns the committee at 4:25 p.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – HB 2547A, written testimony, Rep. Betsy Close, 3 pp

B – HB 2547A, written testimony, Rep. Mary Nolan, 1 p

C – HB 2547A, written testimony, DebraLee Wyant, 4 pp

D – HB 2547A, written testimony, Paula Lang, 3 pp

E – HB 2547A, written testimony, Esther Ripplinger, 1 p

F – HB 2547A, written testimony, Dr. James Mahoney, 2 pp

G – HB 2547A, written testimony, Julie Powers, 2 pp

H – HB 2547A, written testimony, Caroline Fitchett, 3 pp

I – HB 2547A, written testimony, Dr. Grant Higginson, 2 pp

J – HB 2547A, fiscal impact statement (3-21-03), staff, 3 pp

K – HB 2547A, written testimony, Rev. Paul Robinson, 1 p

L – HB 2547A, written material, Gayle Atteberry, 5 pp

M – HB 2547A, written testimony, Rep. Donna Nelson, 1 p

N – HB 2547A, written testimony, Marcia Kelley, 1 p

O – HB 2547A, written testimony, Betty McChesney-Haus, 1 p

P – HB 2547A, written testimony, Margaret Noel, 1 p