The issue of parental consent remains contentious in Washington, considering that Washington was the first state to legalize abortion through a majority vote. Washington State's law currently allows anyone to consent to their abortion services regardless of age. 

The law gives anyone the right to refuse or to accept abortion services at their will. Notably, a minor is legally given a leeway to seek abortion services without the prior consultation of their parents. In Washington, the right to privacy for an individual regarding reproductive care decisions is fundamental and enshrined via a sovereign will of the people.

In most cases, pro-life lobbyists push for parental involvement in abortions involving minors. They claim that a child needs emotional and psychological support from her parents before and after undertaking abortion, arguing that abortion takes minors through emotional and physical suffering before, during, and after abortion. And so, for parents to perform this role, logic dictates that they must know what's best for their child.

Citing a New Hampshire court ruling that declared the requirement for parental consent unconstitutional, some parents say that the government takes away their right to their child's health care decisions. Parents say that they find it absurd that a school has to consult the parents before administering simple medication such as aspirin to a child. Yet still, a doctor shouldn't seek parental consent before performing an invasive abortion procedure on a minor.

Conversely, pro-choice individuals believe minors don't need parental consent to undergo an abortion. They say that most children get pregnant unintentionally, and restricting them to parental involvement in abortion could subject them to domestic violence. Laws that require parental consent could delay the abortion process and thus increase the risks associated with late-term abortion. Further, they assert that a requirement of parental consent infringes on the minor's fundamental right to privacy and confidentiality.

The question for debate is, should Washington minors be allowed to consent to an abortion without parental permission?