Tallahassee Commission backs abortion law through tight vote

Despite a wave of criticism that slightly outweighed support, Tallahassee city commissioners narrowly passed a resolution urging state lawmakers to protect and promote access to reproductive health care, including abortion.

The commissioners approved the resolution by 3-2 votes, with the assistance of Mayor John Dailey and Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter. Commissioners Dianne Williams-Cox and Curtis Richardson voted against.

The final resolution will reflect the vote count and which commissioners were in favor.

But it is likely to fall on many deaf ears as it crosses Pensacola Street from City Hall to the Capitol: the leadership of the Republican-controlled legislature has already signaled that they will be considering a form of abortion ban similar to a Texas law, called abortions Prohibits pregnancy as early as six weeks.

Read more about plans to limit abortion in Florida:

Although the resolution was exclusively ambitious, it nonetheless met with a lot of opposition from the city’s elected leadership, who took such a public stance. More than 30 people spoke out in public for and against.

One person has even promised a boycott of the Gaines Street Pies pizzeria chain in Matlow if he supports them. He did, saying Tallahassee “joins 10 other Florida cities and affirms a woman’s right to vote”.

Williams-Cox said she wasn’t sure why the city was getting involved in the abortion war in the first place. The city, she said, should focus on advocating the right to house rules and working on meaningful policies that have a local impact. She later added that what she does to her body is a choice for her and her husband.

“We’re off our trail,” she said. “We shouldn’t be dealing with this issue. This is a legislative issue. Let the legislature take care of it. “

The resolution stated that it intended to “protect and strengthen the right of Florida citizens to reproductive health care, including abortion,” and stated that “abortion is a constitutional right and remains legal in all 50 states.” It mentions efforts at the state level to “pass laws restricting access to abortion, including restricting young people’s access to abortion care and funding anti-abortion pregnancy centers”.

It was presented to the Commission at the last meeting. It has since been changed so that the resolution was supported by the commissioners and the mayor, not the city of Tallahassee.

One opponent, Andrew Shirvell, described the resolution as “extremely divisive” and added that the commissioners “will all bear the consequences”.

Shirvell, founder and executive director of Florida Voice for the Unborn and a registered government lobbyist, also called Matlow and said a yes vote from him would “initiate a citizen boycott of his pizza business … we’ll make an example” by him.”

Others were passionate about their feelings about the abortion and whether it was even necessary.

“This abortion support resolution that you are putting forward is not at all wise and completely unnecessary,” said Pam Olsen, founder of the Florida Prayer Network. “Nearly 65 million babies have been murdered in our country since abortion was legalized. Think about it as you ponder this resolution. “

Others denounced seeing abortions as reproductive health care.

“Abortion is the only medical procedure with a 100% death rate,” said Tony Ciarlariello. “This is not health care, it is a crime against humanity. Every abortion ends the life of a genetically different person. “

One supporter shared a personal story about how having access to abortion during a failed pregnancy might have preserved her ability to have children.

Alice Ball said her fallopian tubes had to be removed three years ago following complications after struggling to perform an abortion locally.

“I deserve to be a mother,” she said. “I deserve medical care. I deserve the right to do what’s right for my body. “

The move was supported by Equality Florida, which represents the state’s LGBT + community. Jon Harris Maurer, their public order director, urged the commissioners to approve the resolution.

It is about “freedom from government interference in our most intimate decisions,” Harris told the commissioners. “Whether that decision is about who can join a family or how, when and where to start a family, these are personal freedoms that can be exercised without undue interference from the state.”

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.

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