AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin City Council members voted Thursday to pass a series of resolutions aimed at decriminalizing abortion and deprioritizing city resources from being used to enforce Texas' ban on abortions.
One of the resolutions before the council, known as the GRACE Act - which stands for Guarding the Right to Abortion Care for Everyone - aims to "limit the use of City funds for collecting or maintaining information concerning abortions or other reproductive healthcare actions." It will also de-prioritize "enforcement of criminal laws concerning abortions and other reproductive healthcare actions."
The four resolutions passed unanimously, with District 6 council member Mackenzie Kelly off of the dais for the meeting.
Thursday's vote comes after the Supreme Court overturned its landmark Roe v. Wade decision last month, enabling a so-called "trigger ban" passed by the Texas Legislature last session to take effect. Once it goes into effect, abortions would be banned in the state from the moment of fertilization, criminalizing those who perform or assist in an abortion procedure.
While city council can't dictate how the Austin Police Department deals with a criminal case under state law and the city's charter, the resolution is designed to act as a policy recommendation for city staff.
In addition to the GRACE Act, the other resolutions approved by council prohibit discrimination based on reproductive health actions in housing and employment decisions. This effectively blocks individuals within the city from being fired, evicted, denied housing, or denied employment for getting an abortion.
Another resolution calls on city staff to "evaluate and make recommendations on benefits for City employees to support reasonable access to reproductive health care services that are no longer lawfully available in Texas."