SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Rep. Pike says surrogacy bill most ‘offensive’ she has seen

Mar 7, 2018, 4:59 PM

surrogacy...

(File, Associated Press)

(File, Associated Press)

Rep. Liz Pike (R-Camas) calls a surrogacy bill signed into law March 6 by Gov. Jay Inslee “one of the most offensive pieces of legislation” she’s seen.

Block my car in ‘protest’ and I will personally arrest you

The changes to the Uniform Parentage Act allows for paid surrogacy in Washington state.

Critics, including Pike, say the change “commercializes the female womb” by allowing people to purchase babies. In some cases, Pike says, babies may end up going to the highest bidder.

Proponents argue it allows surrogate mothers to be compensated above the cost of medical treatment and expenses.

“We’re not really stopping compensated surrogacy, we’re just ensuring that it happens in an environment that’s more expensive and is also less protective both of the intended parents and the women acting as surrogates and then ultimately of the children,” Democratic Senator Jamie Pedersen said before it was approved.

Pike says surrogacy should be about love and compassion.

“That has all changed with the stroke of Governor Inslee’s pen,” she said.

“Womb for rent. How does that sound for a Washington moniker?” she asked.

Listen to the entire interview here.

SR 18 crash tiger mountain...

Frank Sumrall

Crash near Tiger Mountain summit shuts down all westbound SR 18 lanes

All westbound lanes of SR 18 are currently blocked at I-90 in Snoqualmie due to a crash near the Tiger Mountain summit.

11 minutes ago

bird flu...

KIRO 7 News Staff

Yakima resident tests positive for bird flu

A person in Yakima County has tested positive for avian flu, otherwise known as bird flu, according to the Yakima Health District and Washington State Department of Health.

30 minutes ago

october seattle driest...

Ted Buehner

Seattle on track for one of its driest Octobers on record

The driest October on record was back in 1895, when records were kept in downtown Seattle. Only 0.02 inches of rain fell that month.

31 minutes ago

Grays Harbor County Bus Crash...

KIRO 7 News Staff

One dead, two injured after head-on crash with transit bus in Grays Harbor County

One person is dead after colliding head-on with a transit bus in Grays Harbor County, Washington State Patrol (WSP) Trooper Katherine Weatherwax confirmed Sunday night.

46 minutes ago

Associated Press

Japan and the US kick off joint drills around islands as regional tensions rise

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese and U.S. troops on Monday kicked off one of their largest joint exercises focusing on the defense of Japan’s southwestern islands and showcasing advanced weapons systems in the face of growing tension in the region. About 45,000 Japanese troops and 12,000 American service members are participating in the biennial Keen Sword […]

58 minutes ago

A beaver sits in the Green River, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, near Green River, Wyo. (AP Photo/Brittan...

Associated Press

Bringing more beavers to watersheds is a powerful drought-fighting tool, experts say

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. (AP) — On Jackson Ramsay’s family ranch late in the summer, there were few signs it had just weathered the worst-ever winter snowpack and record-setting heat. Water twisted unhurriedly through the land, splayed into various branches that rejoined to form pools behind mounds of piled sticks. Young willows stretched from the bank […]

1 hour ago

Rep. Pike says surrogacy bill most ‘offensive’ she has seen