By Corinne Murdock
Phoenix leadership may prohibit the use of city resources to enforce abortion restrictions or bans, according to a forthcoming resolution.
Although the resolution isn’t available for public review yet, city officials gave confirmation of its existence to the newly-launched Phoenix arm of Axios on Monday. The city council tasked staff to craft the resolution in June, according to City Attorney Cris Meyer.
Following the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruling that rejected the existence of a constitutional right to abortion, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego declared that the city was pro-choice.
“A majority of the city council and I have no interest in using city resources to prevent women from accessing health care,” said Gallego.
Gallego’s communications director, Jeanine L’Ecuyer, announced earlier this summer that the council was deciding between three separate actions: formal opposition to the SCOTUS decision, a petition to the Arizona state legislature to legalize abortions, and the prohibition of city resources for enforcing abortion laws.
In July, Councilwoman Yassamin Ansari declared that prohibiting enforcement of Arizona laws on abortion was the city’s way of fighting back. Ansari has also called for cities to fund abortion travel expenses.
The abortion industry in Arizona has largely come to a halt, due to uncertainties of current law. Arizona has several laws regulating abortion. The oldest law predating statehood, thereby preceding SCOTUS’ Roe v. Wade decision, banned abortion completely. Another law codified in March restricts abortions after 15 weeks’ gestation.
Few are willing to provide abortion services. One Phoenix clinic, Camelback Family Planning, continued with its abortion services after a federal judge issued an injunction on a 2021 Arizona law recognizing the personhood of an unborn child. The clinic hasn’t only given abortions to Arizona women — according to abortionist Dr. Gabrielle Goodrick, the clinic has given abortions to women in other states as well.
“It’s inhumane, it’s unethical, it’s not sound medically to have women waiting and traveling,” said Goodrick.
The legal hurdles confronting pro-abortionists in Arizona and across the nation prompted Planned Parenthood to take action. The abortion giant pledged to spend $50 million in support of pro-abortion candidates — Democrats — ahead of the upcoming midterm elections in November. The funds will hit Arizona as well as Georgia, Nevada, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
So far this year, Federal Election Commission (FEC) records reflect that Planned Parenthood has only contributed $2,000 to Congressman Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-01). He’s facing Republican, Trump-endorsed opponent Eli Crane.
In 2020, Planned Parenthood put $28,000 into Arizona through its Arizona division, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona (PPAZ), and several federal leaders: O’Halleran, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and failed Democratic congressional candidate Hiral Tipirneni.
This year, according to the secretary of state’s campaign finance database, PPAZ has spent over $74,700 so far this year on pro-abortion Democratic candidates. In 2020, PPAZ spent over $211,000.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
