City Council to consider declaring Palm Springs a Safe City for reproductive freedom and access to abortion
The City of Palm Springs is considering adopting a resolution that would declare the City of Palm Springs a Safe City for reproductive freedom and access to abortion.
Council member Christy Holstege is advocating for the resolution to pass. It will be considered at the next City Council meeting on Thursday, July 14. The request for the resolution originally came from Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest.
"We're already seeing patients that are coming to this region in the Coachella Valley to access abortion and other reproductive healthcare and we know those numbers are just going to continue to increase," said Holstege. "We're going to do the work to make sure patients know about this, that this isn't just a resolution that looks nice, but we're actually doing our part to ensure that people can access health care, including abortion services."
The request to adopt the resolution comes following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which ruled that there was a federal constitutional right to an abortion.
Since the ruling, each state has the authority to ban or restrict abortions. Many states have already passed laws that would prohibit abortions at various stages of pregnancy.
"We are a border region. We butt Arizona, which you know, might make abortion illegal in most circumstances and so we want to be prepared, said Holstege. "My office has reached out to [abortion] providers in Arizona to see how we can be supportive because we are so close to that state... "We're working with them to consider next steps like putting information in our airport for people who might be traveling to access healthcare."
Governor Gavin Newsom has said he will not allow other states restricting abortions to intervene in people accessing abortion care in California.
"We expect people will have the right to flee their state to access health care and to access abortion," said Holstege.
According to the City Council Staff Report, there is no fiscal impact if the resolution is adopted.
