Oakland, CA -- Join Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Council President Pro Tempore Sheng Thao, Council member Fife, Planned Parenthood, and NARAL Pro-Choice America on August 30, 2022, at 9am for a press conference advocating for the passage of their resolution declaring Oakland’s support of California Proposition 1 -- Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment.
Prop 1, if passed by the voters in the general election on November 8, 2022, would amend the California Constitution to expressly provide that the State of California shall not deny or interfere with an individual's reproductive freedom, including their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives.
Since the Supreme Court’s shocking ruling issued on June 24, 2022, which reversed the federal constitutional protection of abortion rights, more than 20 states have restricted access to abortions, imposing criminal sanctions on individuals receiving or performing an abortion, and in some cases, imposing civil offenses against any person who aids or abets a person from receiving an abortion.
Oakland has pushed back against these regressive policies, passing Resolution No. 89201 CMS, which declared Oakland a Right-To-Choose Sanctuary City. Now, the authors of the Oakland resolution making Oakland a Right-To-Choose Sanctuary City call on their Council Colleagues to once again take a strong stand for reproductive rights by voting in support of Prop 1 and calling on all California voters to vote Yes on Prop 1!
Media are invited to join the announcement. Following are the Press Conference details:
Who: Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Council President Pro Tem Sheng Thao, Council member Fife, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Planned Parenthood
Where: Steps of Oakland City Hall 1 Frank H Ogawa Plaza Oakland, CA
Virtual Option: Zoom Registration Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ztrUT0OoTDGiff6NyTatfg
When: August 30, 2022 at 9AM - 10AM
Statements:
Vice-Mayor Kaplan states: “In May of this year, my colleagues and I took a strong stance in declaring Oakland a Sanctuary City for reproductive freedom. I am honored to once again co-author a resolution supporting people’s right and access to safe, affordable reproductive health care. Prop 1 will add the right to an abortion and contraception directly into the California State Constitution to ensure that, in California, people continue to have the power to control their own bodies and personal decisions.”
Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas states, “As a survivor of sexual assault, cis-woman, mother, and ally to all trans people and people with a uterus, I am proud of the critical work we’ve done to make Oakland a pro-choice sanctuary city and to advance the expansion of life-saving reproductive care. In the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we must fight back to ensure rigorous protections for the health and dignity of our communities. I urge all to support Proposition 1, to codify these protections in California, more important now than ever.”
Council member Fife states, “The United States Supreme Court’s ignominious decision to overturn Roe v. Wade made it abundantly clear that now, more than ever, it is critical we codify reproductive rights at the state level. Proposition 1 will help ensure that the fundamental right to choose is explicitly protected in the California Constitution. This is an important step in the fight for bodily autonomy and access to critical health care services; I hope it is supported by all.”
Council President Pro Tempore Sheng Thao States, “With the radical Supreme Court majority’s overturning of Roe. v Wade, cities like Oakland and states like California are now the last line of defense in this fight for freedom, choice, and bodily autonomy—one of the most critical fights of our time. Post-Roe, demand for abortion access will not change, making cities and states like ours a destination for individuals seeking care that has been made illegal in their states. I was honored to lead the fight to make Oakland the first sanctuary city for abortion access in California following the repeal of Roe. Now we must do the same for our state and pass Proposition 1 in November. It is also incredibly critical for us to elect unambiguously pro-choice candidates to every level of office in this election. The stakes are just too high.“
“We’re heartened and thankful to our champions in the City of Oakland for acting now to ensure abortions remain safe and legal in California. Prop 1 will add the right to an abortion directly into the California State Constitution to ensure that, in California, people continue to have the power to control their own bodies and personal decisions,” -- Candelaria Vargas, Director of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
“As anti-choice extremists across the country continue ramping up their attacks on abortion access, California is leading the way to ensure that everybody, no matter who they are or where they live, has the freedom to decide,” said Shannon Olivieri Hovis, Director of NARAL Pro-Choice California. “NARAL and our more than 370,000 members statewide are proud to be working alongside leaders in Oakland on behalf of the Prop 1 campaign so that the promise of reproductive freedom is guaranteed for generations to come. ”
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