Texas cities are directing police to not enforce state abortion laws. Will it work?
Advocates say the resolutions will effectively 'decriminalize' abortion in Austin, Denton
Jason Vermes · CBC Radio · Posted: Jul 22, 2022 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 9 hours ago
An abortion rights protester marches through downtown Austin, Texas, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24. On Thursday, Austin city council unanimously voted in favour of a resolution that would direct police to deprioritize enforcement of state abortion legislation. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman/The Associated Press)
Local governments in two Texas cities have voted in favour of directing police to depriortize the enforcement of abortion-related crimes under state law.
Advocates for the resolutions, passed unanimously on Thursday in Austin and late last month in a 4-3 vote at Denton city council, say the moves would effectively decriminalize abortion within city limits. A similar motion in El Paso, Texas, failed earlier this month.
"We don't want any real effort and resources put into, you know, tracking down these alleged abortion crimes," said José (Chito) Vela, council member for District 4 in Austin, who proposed the motion.
City officials responsible for implementing policy are now expected to direct local law enforcement to investigate other crimes, like vandalism, before they investigate crimes related to state abortion bans.
However, the resolutions do not legalize abortion in the cities or provide protection from state-level enforcement.
Parts of Texas have been grappling with how to protect access to abortion services in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that made abortion a legal right in the United States.
A protest sign reads 'Make Abortion Safe Again!'
A so-called trigger law is expected to come into effect in Texas next month. That law, a response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, would ban all abortions and create severe penalties for abortion providers. (Eric Gay/The Associated Press)
Following the federal court's decision last month, Texas's highest court ruled that a law from 1925 banning abortion could be once again enforced. In a tweet, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called it a "100 per cent good law."
A separate "trigger law" passed last year that would ban abortion from the moment of fertilization and open abortion providers up to the possibility of life in prison and $100,000 in penalties is expected to come into effect next month.
"It's just this absurdly political criminalization of abortion," Vela said.
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many abortion providers in Texas have closed shop or stopped offering the procedure.
Whole Woman's Health, which operated four clinics in Texas, announced this month it would move operations to a New Mexico border city "to provide first and second trimester abortions."
"Women do not have the ability right now in parts of our state — I would say a majority of our state — to seek private health-care decisions with their health-care provider," said Julie Oliver, executive director of political advocacy group Ground Game Texas.
Her organization's goal is to bring resolutions like Austin council member Vela's to other cities in Texas.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/texas-abortion-police-enforcement-1.6528221
Jason Vermes · CBC Radio · Posted: Jul 22, 2022 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 9 hours ago
An abortion rights protester marches through downtown Austin, Texas, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24. On Thursday, Austin city council unanimously voted in favour of a resolution that would direct police to deprioritize enforcement of state abortion legislation. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman/The Associated Press)
Local governments in two Texas cities have voted in favour of directing police to depriortize the enforcement of abortion-related crimes under state law.
Advocates for the resolutions, passed unanimously on Thursday in Austin and late last month in a 4-3 vote at Denton city council, say the moves would effectively decriminalize abortion within city limits. A similar motion in El Paso, Texas, failed earlier this month.
"We don't want any real effort and resources put into, you know, tracking down these alleged abortion crimes," said José (Chito) Vela, council member for District 4 in Austin, who proposed the motion.
City officials responsible for implementing policy are now expected to direct local law enforcement to investigate other crimes, like vandalism, before they investigate crimes related to state abortion bans.
However, the resolutions do not legalize abortion in the cities or provide protection from state-level enforcement.
Parts of Texas have been grappling with how to protect access to abortion services in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that made abortion a legal right in the United States.
A protest sign reads 'Make Abortion Safe Again!'
A so-called trigger law is expected to come into effect in Texas next month. That law, a response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, would ban all abortions and create severe penalties for abortion providers. (Eric Gay/The Associated Press)
Following the federal court's decision last month, Texas's highest court ruled that a law from 1925 banning abortion could be once again enforced. In a tweet, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called it a "100 per cent good law."
A separate "trigger law" passed last year that would ban abortion from the moment of fertilization and open abortion providers up to the possibility of life in prison and $100,000 in penalties is expected to come into effect next month.
"It's just this absurdly political criminalization of abortion," Vela said.
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many abortion providers in Texas have closed shop or stopped offering the procedure.
Whole Woman's Health, which operated four clinics in Texas, announced this month it would move operations to a New Mexico border city "to provide first and second trimester abortions."
"Women do not have the ability right now in parts of our state — I would say a majority of our state — to seek private health-care decisions with their health-care provider," said Julie Oliver, executive director of political advocacy group Ground Game Texas.
Her organization's goal is to bring resolutions like Austin council member Vela's to other cities in Texas.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/texas-abortion-police-enforcement-1.6528221
