A town in Ohio voted Tuesday to effectively outlaw abortions within its city limits, a controversial action that prompted one city councilwoman to resign in protest and is expected to be challenged in court.
The remaining members of the Lebanon City Council unanimously agreed to make the area a “sanctuary city for the unborn,” the first in the state. The ordinance takes effect immediately, though no abortion clinics exist in the city and none are planned.
“We are clearly saying in our community we do not think it is in our best interest to open a clinic or a hospital that does abortions,” said Mayor Amy Brewer. “We are elected to make decisions based on what’s good for our community today.”
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Krista Wyatt, the councilmember who abdicated her post prior to the Tuesday vote, said she could no longer bear to be “associated” with the local government body.
“I am heartbroken to not fulfill my term and I know many people will be disappointed with this. But as a respectable, decent human being, I can no longer allow my name to be associated with the Lebanon City Council,” she wrote in a statement.
The ordinance strictly prohibits providing abortions, aiding in early termination of a pregnancy, and giving instructions on how to procure an abortion. Exemptions were granted for miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and cases in which preserving the health of an unborn child causes a termination. Violators could face six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio vowed legal action against the city following the vote.
“Tonight Lebanon City Council will hold a vote on a dangerous city ordinance that would ban abortion & make it illegal to aid someone in obtaining the procedure by declaring the city a ‘sanctuary for the unborn.’ We are prepared to mount a legal challenge. #SeeYouInCourt,” the group wrote in a tweet prior to the vote.
The organization later remarked, “Unanimously the Lebanon City Council just voted in support of this unconstitutional ordinance. This hyper-local strategy is another attempt by anti-choice politicians to stigmatize and ban abortion in Ohio, by whatever means necessary. We’re reviewing next steps.”
There have been other movements on the anti-abortion front in recent weeks.
Less than two weeks ago, the Supreme Court accepted a Mississippi challenge to the abortion precedent set by Roe v. Wade.
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Lubbock, Texas, became a “sanctuary city for the unborn” earlier this month as it outlawed abortion. Unlike Lebanon, the city contains a Planned Parenthood clinic and has drawn ire from the group following the decision.
“The Lubbock ordinance approved on May 1, 2021 establishes an abortion ban for Lubbock residents, creating significant barriers and the need to travel a minimum 600 mile round trip or out of state to obtain an abortion,” the organization wrote. “Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas is carefully reviewing the impact of the ordinance, and will make decisions soon regarding the availability of abortion services in Lubbock.”
Planned Parenthood and the ACLU have since teamed up to sue Lubbock leaders last week.
