Abortion billboards going up around Washington state

Billboards that support people seeking an abortion will start appearing on both sides of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state.

"There are a lot of anti-abortion access and abortion rights billboards, and you don’t really see the side that is about health care," said Kia Guarino, executive director of Pro-Choice Washington, one of the reproductive rights organizations involved in the billboard campaign.

Guarino said a lot of misinformation is swirling around Spanish-language radio and in social media channels across Eastern Washington.

The billboards east of the mountains will state: “Dear abortion seeker, you are welcome here. From Washington.” Another version will say that Washington state protects abortion providers, seekers, and clinics.

The billboards come months after the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs Decision, which reversed a previous court decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion. The issue of abortion has since been decided on a state-by-state basis. Idaho, for example, immediately tightened restrictions on abortions. That put pressure on neighboring Washington state.

Pro-abortion rights groups have been putting up billboards across the country in recent months, sometimes sparking controversy, or opposing billboards in response.

Pro-Choice Washington has also been putting up posters around Seattle with similar messaging.