ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Alexandria City Council has begun its fight to protect abortion rights by unanimously passing a resolution Tuesday night to encourage the General Assembly and Congress to take action.
The resolution is in direct response to the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.
In the resolution, the council states that abortion is an essential reproductive health service and its availability is an important part of every American's right to safe and accessible health care.
"We reaffirm our opposition to the imposition of restrictions on reproductive choice by the governments of the Commonwealth or the United States, and stand in solidarity with women in states where abortion has become or soon will become illegal," the council states in the resolution.
The city council has asked the General Assembly of Virginia and the United States Congress to protect the right to abortion in the state. The city manager was also asked to consider budget proposals to ensure access to safe abortion and reproductive health services as well as maternal and child health services for low-income residents.
At the meeting, both supporters and opponents of the measure were in attendance. Some were even forcibly removed by police officers due to interruption.
Currently in Virginia, law permits abortions up to about 26 weeks with Gov. Glen Youngkin calling for a law to ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.