Approved as to Form and Legality
City Attorney’s Office
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. _______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY VICE MAYOR KAPLAN, COUNCIL PRESIDENT FORTUNATO
BAS, COUNCIL PRO TEMPORE THAO & COUNCILMEMBER FIFE
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF PROPOSITION 1, WHICH, IF PASSED BY THE VOTERS IN THE GENERAL ELECTION ON NOVEMBER 8,
2022, WOULD AMEND THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION TO
EXPRESSLY PROVIDE THAT THE STATE SHALL NOT DENY OR
INTERFERE WITH AN INDIVIDUAL’S REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM,
WHICH INCLUDES THEIR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO CHOOSE TO
HAVE AN ABORTION AND THEIR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO
CHOOSE OR REFUSE CONTRACEPTIVES
WHEREAS, on June 24, 2022, in a historic and far -reaching decision, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, which guarantees the federal constitutional protection of abortion rights; and
WHEREAS, this rollback on a woman's right to choose to have an abortion has reverberated across the county, both galva nizing communities to denounce the decision and energizing others to impose strict limitations on individuals seeking an abortion; and
WHEREAS, since the Supreme Court’s reversal, more than 20 states have restricted access to abortions, imposing criminal sanctions on individuals receiving or performing an abortion, and in some cases, imposing civil offenses against any person who aids or abets a person from receiving an abortion; and
WHEREAS, with this wave of restrictions, Oakland has pushed back against these regressive policies, passing Resolution No. 89201 CMS , which declared Oakland a Right -To- Choose Sanctuary City; and
WHEREAS, access to reproductive health care should not depend on your zip code, and people should be able to access the reproductive health care they need wit hout medically unnecessary barriers or restrictions; and
2 WHEREAS, in addition, health care providers should be able to offer care without interference or fear of being criminalized; and
WHEREAS, reproductive freedom is intertwined with many issues of social justice such as economic, gender, and racial equity; therefore, a strong support system for reproductive freedom measures ensures that Californians of all backgrounds have access to the care they need; and
WHEREAS, Proposition 1, which will be vote d on in the November 2022 election, will allow individuals and families to continue to have the freedom to determine what is best for them and their families, giving people the ability to plan their lives and make important reproductive decisions without the government interfering; and
WHEREAS, by expressly stating the right to choose to have an abortion is a fundamental right in the California Constitution, Proposition 1 will also protect against potential future attacks at the federal level and erosion of those rights by the courts; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That t he Oakland City Council hereby expresses its support for Proposition 1, which, if passed by the voters in the general election on November 8, 2022, would amend the California Constitution to expressly provide that the State shall not deny or interfere with an individual's reproductive freedom, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - FIFE, GALLO, KALB, KAPLAN, REID, TAYLOR, THAO AND
PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California
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