RESOLUTION NO. 2022 –
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BELMONT IN SOLIDARITY WITH ALL INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY ROE V. WADE,
DENOUNCING ITS OVERTURN
WHEREAS, on May 2, 2022, a draft of a United States (U.S.) Supreme Court document was leaked to the public, demonstrating that there was an intent to overturn Roe v. Wade; and, WHEREAS, on May 3, 2022, thousands gathered in cities across the United States, including in the Bay Area, to protest a leaked draft decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that has protected the freedom to seek an abortion since 1973; and, WHEREAS, laws restricting access to abortion disproportionately impact poor and working-class women and women of color, because wealthy women have the resources to pay a private doctor exorbitant fees or travel to places where quality reproductive healthcare is available; and,
WHEREAS, on June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, holding that there is no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion; and, WHEREAS, in 1972, the decision of Roe v. Wade was established to protect an individual’s right to safe and legal abortions by extending protections in the name of one’s constitutional right to privacy; and,
WHEREAS, the present attack on Roe v. Wade is not the first: in 1976, the Hyde Amendment determined restrictions on abortion options for impregnated individuals.
Subsequently, under the Reagan Administration, new laws gave states individual autonomy over decisions on abortions. This was exacerbated by the Affordable Care Act’s divestment from reproductive healthcare, including cuts to abortion cost coverage, followed by attempts to defund Planned Parenthood–all events that emboldened abortion bans in states like Mississippi and Texas; and,
WHEREAS, the denial of reproductive choice goes against bodily autonomy, and the majority of Californians support the option and access to abortion; and, WHEREAS, in the United States, college-aged women 20-24 years old make up the majority of those who have abortions, and 40% of people report that they have abortions because “having a child could derail their education;” and,
WHEREAS, the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will have an abominable impact on the lives of all bodies that are able to bear children in the United States of America, ultimately depriving individuals of the autonomy and agency over their own bodies; and, WHEREAS, while the Jewish community and other religious minorities have a range of opinions on abortion, there is a strong and broad commitment in these traditions to defending the life of pregnant women above all else, and therefore many abortion bans will undermine their 273
religious and cultural freedom; and,
WHEREAS, the impediment of reproductive freedom would have the most disproportionate impact on the lives of marginalized individuals, such as BIPOC individuals, LGBTQ+ community members, people with disabilities, and other populations who are vulnerable to systemic injustice and an inequitable healthcare system; and, WHEREAS, the illegalization of abortion is an infringement of reproductive freedom that permeates sexism, racism, misogyny, transphobia, ableism; and, WHEREAS, the overturn of Roe v. Wade explicitly criminalizes individuals with bodies that are able to bear children for their ability to choose on matters that include but are not limited to pregnancy in the case of unexpected conception, medical emergencies, or sexual violence.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Belmont resolves as follows:
SECTION 1. The Council is entirely opposed to the U.S. Supreme Court majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and to the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
SECTION 2. The Council supports and respects the bodily autonomy of women and LGBTQ people.
SECTION 3. The Council calls on Local, State, and Federal Legislators to acknowledge the emotional stress that this news has caused and publicly acknowledge the weight of the issue.
SECTION 4. The Council will support and call for California Governor Gavin Newsom to constitutionalize abortion in the state of California.
SECTION 5. The Council urges federal elected officials to pass legislation codifying the full right to abortion and other reproductive healthcare nationwide.
SECTION 6. The Council requests that the City Manager convey this resolution to San Mateo County’s federal Congressional delegation, and its state delegation. 274
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ADOPTED June 28, 2022 by the City of Belmont City Council by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
ATTEST:
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Attorney
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