Gov. Jay Inslee signed a suite of five bills Thursday to shore up access to abortion in Washington, a ceremonial flourish demonstrating how blue states are reacting as the demise of Roe v. Wade approaches its anniversary.
"We are here to proclaim very vocally and very forcefully that we will not allow any state or any Trump-appointed judge to jeopardize a woman's right of choice in the state of Washington," Inslee said Thursday, flanked by lawmakers and advocates on the roof of the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health at the University of Washington.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned longstanding federal protections for abortion. Roe's fall has heightened existing fragmentation among states when it comes to abortion access, with some states doubling down on restrictions and others reinforcing protections.
With the stroke of Inslee's pen, Washingtonians with private insurance will no longer have to pay copays or meet their deductible to get an abortion under Senate Bill 5242. Doctors and other providers will be protected from discipline solely for providing abortions or gender-affirming care under House Bill 1340, and patients will be protected from prosecution and other legal action originating in other states for seeking an abortion under House Bill 1469.
Inslee also signed Senate Bill 5768, authorizing his strategy to direct the Department of Corrections to purchase a supply of the abortion pill mifepristone amid uncertainty over the pill's approval status. Since Inslee's action earlier this month, other states have followed suit, including Oregon and California. And the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday halted earlier rulings restricting the pill, allowing it to remain available, as lawsuits wend their way through the courts.
The governor also signed House Bill 1155, which sets up safeguards for health information that consumers provide to companies — such as makers of period-tracking apps — and to prohibit zeroing in on the location of health providers via geofencing in order to find and collect health data about consumers.
The moment earned praise from advocates for abortion rights and criticism from anti-abortion groups.
"I am very sad to see the governor's disdain and blatant disregard for human life by prioritizing death over possibilities," said Esther Ripplinger, president and CEO of Human Life of Washington.
Courtney Normand, Washington state director of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said in a statement that the governor and lawmakers "took it upon themselves to affirm that abortion is a protected right for all in Washington."
"We applaud their hard work, while knowing that this isn't the end of the fight," Normand said. "We will continue to fight because if you take politics out of it, we know our patients and communities depend on this care."
Asked Thursday whether the state was prepared for litigation surrounding the abortion-related bills, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said, "We feel confident we can successfully defend if there is a lawsuit."
The legislative session ended Sunday. Other legislation related to abortion didn't pass, such as a resolution to change the state constitution to enshrine access to abortion and contraception.
