Oakland City Council unanimously votes to become abortion sanctuary city
OAKLAND -- City council members Tuesday unanimously passed a measure making Oakland a pro-choice sanctuary city for anyone in the country seeking an abortion.
"The passage of this resolution makes Oakland the first city in California to declare itself a sanctuary city for abortion access and is the first step we will be taking to expand abortion access to anyone who needs it," said City council President Pro Tempore Sheng Thao. " Healthcare is a human right, and the city of Oakland stands firmly behind anyone exercising their right to reproductive care."
Thao, Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas and supporters including representatives from Planned Parenthood held a press conference Tuesday morning outside Oakland City Hall to announce support for the resolution.
The resolution declares Oakland a right-to-choose sanctuary city and calls on the state and Alameda County to ensure adequate funding to provide support for people seeking an abortion. The resolution also reaffirms support for codifying the right to an abortion into federal law
"Make no mistake, the Supreme Court is threatening to turn back the clock," Kaplan said in a news release. "They are threatening our rights and fundamental liberty. The laws that guarantee the right to reproductive freedom are the same laws that ensure the right to contraception, the right for LGBTQ+ people to be allowed to live and love as we choose, and privacy and racial justice."
Earlier this month, Governor Gavin Newsom and the state's top legislative leaders said they would seek voter approval to make abortions a constitutional right in California, a move designed to shield the state from future court rulings and a potential federal abortion ban should Republicans win control of Congress.
The announcement came hours after the release of an early draft of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, end8ing nearly 50 years of federal abortion protections. The draft could change before a final ruling is issued.
The California Legislative Women's Caucus has asked Newsom for $20 million to help pay for women from other states where abortion would be outlawed to come to California for the procedure
