In response to a new law passed there last week prohibiting most abortions, the City Council in Portland, Oregon will consider an emergency measure Wednesday that would prohibit the purchase of items and services from Texas.
The measure, if passed, would also bar city workers from visiting the state. Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office said Friday in a news release that until Texas either withdraws the abortion law or it is determined to be unconstitutional in court, the resolution will remain in place.
“The Portland City Council stands unified in its belief that all people should have the right to choose if and when they carry a pregnancy and that the decisions they make are complex, difficult, and unique to their circumstances,” the news release said.
The new Texas law bans abortions once fetal heart activity can be detected, which is typically around six weeks before a person knows she is pregnant. Other states’ restrictions have been blocked by courts, but the one in Texas differs significantly because it leaves enforcement to private citizens through civil lawsuits rather than criminal prosecutors.
The Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene in the Texas case has generated outrage on the left, while many conservatives are ecstatic.
“We urge other leaders and elected bodies around the nation to join us in condemning the actions of the Texas state government,” the Portland mayor’s office said.
