The city of Portland, Oregon will vote on an emergency resolution banning trade with the state of Texas in response to the state’s abortion law.
The law prohibits virtually all abortions after a heartbeat is detected, which is typically after six weeks of pregnancy. It also essentially deputizes citizens by empowering them to file lawsuits against abortion providers suspected of violating the new policy.
“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,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced.
He added: “We urge other leaders and elected bodies around the nation to join us in condemning the actions of the Texas state government.”
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The law went into effect last week. The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to deny an emergency appeal from abortion providers to block the legislation, saying they had not met the burden required for a stay of the law.
The ruling prompted Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who is the Senate Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat, to announce that a panel will probe the Supreme Court’s practice of deciding weighty cases on an emergency basis.
Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.
