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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 5280COUNCH, RESOLUTION NO. 5280 A RE SOLUTION DECLARING THE RIGHT TO SAFE AND LEGAL ABORTION AND AFFIRNHNG THE CITY OF EUGENE'S COMNBTMENT TO ACT INSUPPORT OF THAT RIGHT BY AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO PARTICIPATE AS AN AMICUS IN ORTHCOMING FEDERAL LAWSUITS CHALLENGING ABORTION BANS AROUND THE COUNTRY. PASSED: 6:0 R ECTED: OPPOSED: ABSENT: Clark, Zeleaka CONSIDERED: October 28, 2019 RESOLUTION NO. 5280 A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE RIGHT TO SAFE AND LEGAL ABORTION AND AFFIRMING THE CITY OF EUGENE'S COMMITMENT TO ACT IN SUPPORT OF THAT RIGHT BY AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO PARTICIPATE AS AN AMICUS IN FORTHCOMING FEDERAL LAWSUITS CHALLENGING ABORTION BANS AROUND THE COUNTRY. A. State governments across the nation are passing laws that expressly or effectively ban abortion in those states. B. Oregon is the only state with no additional statutory restrictions on abortion. C. Eugene voters have a history of supporting reproductive freedom and defeating anti -abortion ballot measures, including defeating, with 79 percent of the vote, Measure 106, which would have denied insurance coverage for abortion to the most vulnerable Oregonians including those who rely on the Oregon Health Plan, as well as our dedicated public employees. D. The City of Eugene has also demonstrated its commitment to the health of Eugene residents by mandating that employers provide paid sick leave prior to it being mandated by the state. E. Oregon House Bill 3391, The Reproductive Health Equity Act of 2017, codified the right to safe and legal abortion in the State of Oregon. F. Every person who can become pregnant needs access to the full range of safe, affordable, and comprehensive reproductive healthcare services throughout their life, including screenings for cancer and sexually transmitted infections, contraceptive services, abortion care, prenatal care, labor and delivery services, and postpartum care. G. Various states have, in recent months, proposed legislation that would prevent a person who can become pregnant from obtaining an abortion as early as six weeks after conception, when a person is often not yet aware of their pregnancy. H. Some of this legislation also threatens healthcare providers with prison time of up to 99 years and fines for performing abortions in their capacity as medical professionals. L Such legislation will have profoundly negative impacts on the health of people who can become pregnant by effectively eliminating access to all safe and legal abortion services. J. Since 1976, federal legislation known as the Hyde Amendment has prohibited the use of federal funds for abortion services and because of the systems of structural racism and socioeconomic inequality, people of color are disproportionately impacted by the lack of access to safe abortion; and therefor are more likely to experience unintended pregnancy than white people, reinforcing the disproportionate impact of restrictions on safe and legal abortion. K. Rather than implementing regressive, medically unnecessary, and extreme policies banning or severely restricting access to abortion, policy makers should instead focus on the maintenance and expansion of services which aim to reduce unintended pregnancies, and Resolution -- Page 1 of 2 promote individual bodily autonomy and promote the success of all families by investing in comprehensive sexuality education, access to the full range of reproductive healthcare, paid family and medical leave, and high quality, affordable childcare. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EUGENE, a Municipal Corporation of the State of Oregon, as follows: Section 1. The City of Eugene unequivocally condemns any attempt to restrict, prohibit, or otherwise impede access to safe and legal abortion care. Access to safe and legal abortion care is vital to the health of people who can become pregnant and our broader community. Section 2. The City of Eugene remains committed to eliminating stigma surrounding abortion so that every person in our city who makes the choice to access safe and legal abortion care will feel supported, welcome, and safe doing so. Likewise, the City of Eugene will continue to stand with healthcare providers who provide essential high-quality, affordable reproductive healthcare, and human sexuality education to thousands of Eugene residents, with or without insurance coverage and regardless of citizenship status. Section 3. The Council directs the City Manager to have staff monitor suits that may arise from Ohio Senate Bill 23 and Alabama State's expansive legislation restricting abortion rights, as well as other restrictive abortion legislation. If a suit is filed, the City Manager shall have staff evaluate opportunities to participate as an amicus. The Council authorizes the City to participate as an amicus in litigation challenging the legality of these laws at the time and in the cases the City Manager believes to be most effective and strategically valuable. Additionally, the City Manager is encouraged to have staff reach out to and work with attorneys representing other state and local governments across the State of Oregon and the country to build a coalition of amici willing to participate in legal challenges to these and other laws limiting access to abortion services. Section 4. The Council requests the Speaker of the Oregon State House of Representatives and the President of the Oregon State Senate to ensure that no Oregonians face additional barriers to accessing reproductive healthcare as a result of federal rulemaking. Section 5. The Council requests that the Office of Government Relations deliver copies of this resolution, upon adoption, to the Governor of Oregon, the Speaker of the Oregon State House of Representatives, and the President of the Oregon State Senate, and to any other interested parties. Section 6. This Resolution is effective immediately upon its passage by the City Council. The foregoing Resolution adopted the 28°1 day of October, 2019 City Recorder Resolution -- Page 2 of 2