Last night, the Eugene City Council unanimously passed a resolution condemning abortion bans and committing the city to support abortion rights moving forward.

The resolution was introduced by Councilor Claire Syrett in conjunction with NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon. In addition to the city taking a stance on the issue, Eugene now has the power to file amicus briefs in federal lawsuits regarding abortion, meaning they can weigh in on the lawsuits in court filings.

Before the public hearing and vote, NARAL held a rally in Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza. In addition to Syrett, councilors Betty Taylor and Emily Semple gathered to voice their support of the proposal. State Rep. Marty Wilde and state sens. Floyd Prozanski and James Manning also attended.

NARAL Executive Director Grayson Dempsey addressed the small crowd, thanking them for being the “Eight out of 10  Eugeneans who support abortion.”

“Thanks to you,” she says. “We can proudly call Oregon the most pro-choice state in the nation.”

During the public forum portion of the City Council work session, members of NARAL, students and local politicians spoke out in support of the resolution. Congressional candidate Doyle Canning shared a personal story of her grandmother in regards to the importance of abortion rights.

A few community members spoke in favor of abortion bans and voiced their concern for supporting abortion rights.

After the public forum, Syrett spoke on the resolution saying that access to abortion services is crucial to the community’s health and currently under threat in other parts of the country.

“By passing this resolution, we will be adding our voice to the effort, protecting the right to access abortion and fighting back against the real threats to Roe versus Wade as it makes its way to the Supreme Court, where its fate is not at all clear,” Syrett says.

Although Mike Clark and Alan Zelenka were not present, the city voted 6-0 on the resolution.

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