HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 14499
City of Palo Alto
COLLEAGUES MEMO
June 21, 2022 Page 1 of 2
(ID # 14499)
DATE: June 21, 2022
TO: City Council Members
FROM: Council Member Stone, Council Member Burt, Council Member Kou
SUBJECT: COLLEAGUES MEMO: ADOPT A RESOLUTION REGARDING
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS FOR PALO ALTO RESIDENTS
Issue:
On May 2, 2022, Politico published a story revealing a leaked draft opinion in the case Dobbs v.
Jackson Women’s Health Organization.1 This decision, although not final, reveals the intention
of the United States Supreme Court to overturn the well-established precedent of Roe v. Wade
and Casey v. Planned Parenthood, stating in part, “We hold that Roe and Casey must be
overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly
protected by any constitutional provision.” The draft opinion goes on to delegate the authority
of legislating on abortion to the states, “The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each
State from regulating or prohibiting abortion . . . Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We
now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected
representatives.”
About half of the states have already indicated they will swiftly impose laws banning abortion
immediately upon the termination of the Roe and Casey precedents. At that time, millions of
women across the country will have their right to bodily autonomy eliminated by this decision.
Several states have gone even further by proposing dubious legislation that would prohibit
women from seeking abortions outside their state.
Background and Discussion:
One of the City Council’s priorities for 2022 is Community Health and Safety. The right to
reproductive healthcare is critical, and the constitutional guarantee of bodily autonomy has
been protected since the Roe decision in 1973. With these rights set to be eliminated at the end
of June when the Dobbs decision is likely to be published, millions of women across the nation
will lose their right to choose what to do with their own bodies.
A longstanding priority of this Council has been social justice and equity, which is implicit in this
June 21, 2022 Page 2 of 2
(ID # 14499)
year’s Council priorities. The Court’s decision is a direct assault on the equal treatment of
women in our country as targeting laws at a portion of the population is nothing less than
discrimination. This decision will be an attack on all women’s rights, but will most profoundly
impact women of color, impoverished women, immigrants, and our youth.
Amnesty International has advocated for access to safe abortions as a human right2, and the
World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the importance of preserving access to high
quality reproductive healthcare, “Making health for all a reality, and moving towards the
progressive realization of human rights, requires that all individuals have access to quality
health care, including comprehensive abortion care services – which includes information,
management of abortion, and post-abortion care.”3 Palo Alto Municipal Code section 9.73.010
codifies the City’s commitment to, “affirm, support and protect the human rights of every
person within its jurisdiction . . . [and] to protect and safeguard the right and opportunity of
every person to be free from arbitrary discrimination on the basis of their . . . gender, age”.4
Under the Council’s Procedures and Protocols, Council may take action on a Colleague Memo
on the same night it is introduced when the proposed action has no staff or budget impacts.
Adoption of the Resolution attached satisfies that criteria.
Recommendation:
We recommend the City Council adopt the attached Resolution affirming the City’s belief in a
woman’s right to bodily autonomy and to welcome all who seek reproductive freedom within
our City’s boundaries.
Staff Impact:
There is no impact to staff resources to approve this resolution.
Attachments:
• Colleague's memo reporductive rights
Resolution No. XXXX
Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Expressing Support for
Women’s Reproductive Rights
R E C I T A L S
WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court opinion in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s
Health Organization was recently leaked by Politico on May 2, 2022, revealing the Court’s
impending decision to overturn the seminal decisions in Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned
Parenthood; and
WHEREAS, the constitutional guarantee to reproductive health care decisions will likely end for
millions of women across the nation at the end of June 2022, when the Supreme Court officially
publishes the Dobbs opinion; and
WHEREAS, this decision will negatively impact the lives of countless women who will no longer
have a constitutional right to seek an abortion and may be denied in their home states the right
to bodily autonomy; and
WHEREAS, more than half the states have already expressed their desire to abolish or severely
restrict access to abortion services. Several states, like Missouri, have already indicated they
will immediately abolish abortion in their states upon reversal of Roe v. Wade and will seek to
criminalize women who cross state lines in order to seek abortions in other states; and
WHEREAS, one in four women will obtain an abortion at least once in their lifetime, and denial
of basic healthcare services for a select portion of the population is a form of discrimination;
and
WHEREAS, according to the Center for Disease Control, women of color have higher abortion
rates than white women. Minority women are also less likely to have access to good quality
healthcare, with Black women being three times more likely to die in childbirth than white
women; and
WHEREAS, Amnesty International and the World Health Organization recognizes the right to
seek a safe abortion and exercise one’s right to bodily autonomy free from encroachment by
others as a human right; and
WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto recognizes that a woman’s right to choose is a human right and
the decision to control one’s own reproductive care should be hers alone to make; and
WHEREAS, Palo Alto Municipal Code section 9.73.010 codifies the City’s commitment to,
“affirm, support and protect the human rights of every person within its jurisdiction . . . [and] to
protect and safeguard the right and opportunity of every person to be free from arbitrary
discrimination on the basis of their . . . gender, age”; and
WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto recognizes that any restrictions on the access to abortions will
disproportionately impact people of color, lower socio-economic classes, immigrants, and our
youth; and
WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto has named Community Health and Safety as a City Council
priority for 2022 and is committed to ensuring all people have access to safe reproductive care.
The Council of the City of Palo Alto does hereby RESOLVE as follows:
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, The Palo Alto City Council, on behalf of the City and all its
residents, affirms our belief in a woman’s right to bodily autonomy and their choice to
terminate an unwanted pregnancy. The City welcomes all who seek reproductive freedom
within our jurisdiction and will do all we can within the limits of the law to protect and defend
those who wish to exercise those rights.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:
___________________________ ___________________________
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
___________________________ ___________________________
City Attorney City Manager