OLYMPIA, Washington (LifeSiteNews) – Democrat lawmakers in Washington introduced a state constitutional amendment to enshrine a “right” to both abortion-on-demand and gender transition “treatment” at the same time.
The Center Square reported that the amendment says the government “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, the individual’s fundamental right to choose to use contraception, the individual’s fundamental right to choose to use assisted reproductive technology, and the individual’s fundamental right to be free from discrimination on the basis of the individual’s pregnancy outcome, nor shall the state deny or interfere with an individual’s gender-affirming care decisions.”
Democrat state Sen. Vandana Slatter, the amendment’s lead sponsor, justified it on the grounds that “Washington has always led on privacy and personal freedom, and Senate Joint Solution 8204 makes it clear that we are ready to fight for those rights – now and in the future. Even if this does not move forward, we are building the coalition, making the case, and having this important conversation.”
She also claimed that it “doesn’t specifically mention anything about reassignment surgeries” or “address any existing laws on age restrictions for medical procedures,” although the language is all-but guaranteed to be used in court to invalidate restrictions on such procedures.
“’Parents have no rights,” GOP state representative and Washington State Republican Party chair Jim Walsh lamented. “(But they still have to pay for treatments they don’t know about.) A proposed constitutional amendment making child sex-change therapies a ‘right.’ See the pattern?”
“I don’t know why they would introduce such a bill because it’s obviously a divisive bill,” Republican state Rep. Chris Gildon added. “They obviously don’t have the votes to pass it. They would need three Republicans to vote for a constitutional amendment, which I just don’t see that happening, so I’m curious what the point is.”
In Washington, constitutional amendments must clear a two-thirds vote by each chamber of the state legislature, then a majority vote by the people.
The abortion lobby has been working feverishly to cancel out the deterrent effects of state abortion bans via deregulated interstate distribution of abortion pills, legal protection and financial support of interstate abortion travel, constructing new abortion facilities near borders shared by pro-life and pro-abortion states, making liberal states sanctuaries for those who want to evade or violate the laws of more pro-life neighbors, and enshrining abortion “rights” in state constitutions.
Such amendments have been the abortion lobby’s most potent tactic. Up until 2024, it had consistent success since the overturn of Roe v. Wade using false claims that pro-life laws are dangerous to stoke fear about the issue among the general public.
After 2020, pro-lifers either failed to enact pro-life amendments or stop pro-abortion ones in California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Vermont, Kansas, and Ohio, prompting much conversation among pro-lifers about the need to develop new strategies to protect life at the ballot box as well as consternation within the Republican Party over the political ramifications of continuing to take a clear pro-life position.
Ten states had such amendments on the ballot in November 2024. Pro-lifers defeated pro-abortion ballot initiatives in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota, breaking the abortion lobby’s two-year winning streak, but amendments to embed abortion “rights” in state constitutions prevailed in the remaining states.
Meanwhile, though Washington Democrats may not have the votes for this latest amendment, the state remains under firmly left-wing leadership. Last year, Democrat Gov. Jay Inslee issued a directive meant to force hospitals to provide “medically necessary” abortions and signed a law mandating LGBT history lessons in public schools. Attorney General Bob Ferguson attempted an investigation into two faith-based, pro-life nonprofits but was forced to back down.
