City lawmakers in Austin, Texas, are looking to decriminalize abortion via legislation that would insulate locals from a state trigger law that largely bans the procedure in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Austin City Council members Vanessa Fuentes and José “Chito” Vela are seeking a special meeting to pass the GRACE Act, or “Guarding the Right to Abortion Care for Everyone,” according to Fox7.
The bill would make abortions the lowest priority for the city police department and restrict funding that would flow to those investigations.
“Today is a painful day for our country, and I grieve the violations of bodily autonomy which the Texas state government will soon impose on Austin residents,” Mr. Vela wrote on a council message board Friday. “I welcome any of my colleagues who wish to co-sponsor the GRACE Act, and I hope our city can be a source of grace to those who will be targeted for making what should be a private medical decision.”
The local measure is an attempt to comport with state laws while making enforcement of them unlikely after reported abortions.
“We understand that we’re bound by state laws. We have to take the report. We have to accept the report from the citizen or whoever,” Mr. Vela told FOX 7. “However, we don’t want to do much more than take the report, ideally.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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