Planned Parenthood drops effort to add abortion as Oregon constitutional right

The pro-abortion group Equal Rights Oregon, which includes Planned Parenthood, announced it will not continue its quest to add abortion as a right to the Oregon state constitution.

Key Takeaways:

• Equal Rights Oregon has withdrawn Initiative Petition 33, also called Equal Rights for All.

• The initiative sought to add abortion, same-sex marriage, and cross-sex treatments to the Oregon Constitution as rights.

• The group failed to gather enough signatures to get the measure on the November 2026 ballot, collecting just eight percent of the required signatures.

• No reason was given for the decision to withdraw the petition; however, it has been revealed that Oregonians are less supportive of so-called 'gender affirming care.'

The Backstory:

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, Basic Rights Oregon, Planned Parenthood Action of Oregon, and Latino Network were behind Initiative Petition 33, also called Equal Rights for All, which was launched in June 2024. The measure aimed to add language to the Oregon Constitution to protect abortion, same-sex marriage, and cross-sex medical treatments as rights. It said, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the state of Oregon or by any political subdivision in this state on account of sex." It added, "'On account of sex' includes laws, policies, and actions that discriminate, in intent or effect, based on: (a) pregnancy/pregnancy outcomes and related health decisions; (b) gender identity and related health decisions; (c) sexual orientation, including the right to marry; or (d) sex."

These terms are vague, and "pregnancy outcomes" could allow for infanticide.

The Details:

In an Instagram post, Equal Rights Oregon said that it will not pursue Initiative Petition 33, also called the Equal Rights for All measure. It did not offer an explanation; however, the group had spent about $1.3 million and collected less than eight percent (8%) of the signatures required to get the amendment on the November 2026 ballot. The petition had struggled to gain support from the get-go. Democratic state legislators were to refer it to voters in 2024; however, that plan was axed as part of a deal to end a six-week-long walkout by Republican state legislators.

In its announcement last week, the group said, "After thoughtful consideration, we are announcing the difficult decision not to move forward with Initiative Petition 33 in 2026... This is a particularly difficult time, as the federal government continues attacking our rights, freedom, and basic humanity. We still firmly believe that together, we will build an Oregon where all of us can be who we are, and make our own decisions about our lives and bodies, and access the care that we need.”

According to The Willamette Week, Equal Rights Oregon had collected just 12,194 signatures since May 2025. It needed 156,231 valid signatures by July 2 to get its amendment on the ballot. John Horvick, a pollster for DHM Research, told the news outlet that polling in the state shows Oregonians tend to support abortion access and same-sex marriage; however, there is less support for cross-sex hormones and surgeries for minors, or for allowing transgender students to play on their preferred team.

"Of the issues we ask about," said Horvick, "Oregonians said transgender issues were the least important to them. That may speak to the difficulty of gathering signatures."

Only 41% of Oregonians agree that "transgender students should be allowed to play on teams that matched their current identity," according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle, and the state Medicaid program already covers cross-sex treatments when deemed medically necessary. In addition, abortion is already widely available in the state, with no gestational limits, and is covered by both public and private insurance. While 72% of Oregonians generally support abortion, that support drops to just 44% in the second trimester. The petition would have made abortion a right, potentially removing all protections for preborn children and preventing any protections from being enacted in the future. As for same-sex marriage, in 2004, Oregonians voted to ban same-sex marriage, which was overturned by the United States District Court for the District of Oregon in 2014.

The Bottom Line:

Proponents of Initiative Petition 33 wanted to ensure each of these — all access abortion, same-sex marriage, and cross-sex treatments — was protected under the state constitution in case Democrats lost their position of power in the state legislature. But it doesn't seem that voters saw the petition as necessary.