Flagstaff City Council considering resolution in support of abortion rights

FLAGSTAFF — A majority of the Flagstaff City Council voted to move forward with crafting a statement in support of reproductive freedom in light of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and the Arizona legislature’s enactment of laws restricting abortions in the state. Importantly, the resolution is only a statement and does not create or change any laws.

Councilmembers will decide whether to officially adopt the resolution at next week's City Council meeting on March 7.

In short, the resolution would affirm the council's opposition to abortion restrictions and its support for the "constitutional rights of pregnant persons, including their access to reproductive health care and abortions."

Additionally, the resolution also states the council's support for the Flagstaff Police Department to establish law enforcement priorities "that consider the need to protect the physical, psychological, and socioeconomic well-being of pregnant persons and their care providers." Further, the resolution suggests that instead of arresting those allegedly involved in an abortion under new state law, reports of those that allegedly took place in a medical facility should be referred to the Arizona Department of Health Services for investigation.

This process began shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last June. After collecting dozens of signatures of support, the Flagstaff Abortion Alliance submitted a citizen petition last August asking city council to "discuss protecting Flagstaff residents from possible arrest and prosecution for providing, accessing or assisting with abortion services."

Last week's council meeting became increasingly emotional as more than a dozen reproductive rights activists populated the crowd while many publicly shared their personal experiences with abortion and reproductive healthcare as they pleaded with the council for their support.

One couple drove in from the Village of Oak Creek to share their story of abortion after experiencing dangerous pregnancy complications. Erika Christensen and Garin Marschall, like many who live spread across northern Arizona, rely on Flagstaff for the vast majority of their health care services, including when they were first growing their family.

"I used to be someone that didn't think about abortion much let alone talk about it in public," she said. "But that was before my husband Garin and I started down the long, hard road to becoming parents."

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Months into a high-risk pregnancy, Christensen said, their doctors determined that the complications had become far worse than they initially thought and they made the impossible decision to end the pregnancy — one that they had very much wanted.

But by that time, the couple had missed Arizona's 15-week abortion window, "a line we didn’t know existed until we had crossed it," she said.

Eventually, they were forced to take an emergency trip to a clinic in Colorado that specializes in cases like hers, something that Christensen acknowledged is simply out of reach for so many women in similar positions.

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As is expected with this highly divisive topic, some Flagstaff residents spoke in opposition to the resolution with many arguing that abortion is well beyond the scope of what a local city council should focus on.

“You do not represent me or the majority of the people that I know in making any kind of resolution regarding the United States Supreme Court decision of Dobbs v. Jackson or the Arizona legislature's enactment of laws on abortion,” Flagstaff resident Roseanna Tar told the council.

“You were elected to protect and enhance the quality of life for all Flagstaff citizens. Your job is funding the police, taking care of the infrastructure, flood mitigation, et cetera,” she said.

Many of those in opposition to the resolution agreed that the council should “stay in their lane” and instead focus more on local priorities but some activists pushed back on those claims.

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Responding directly to those imploring the council to focus on the city's emergency services, a female first responder argued that her reproductive rights and overall health care are essential factors in her being able to do her job well.

Northern Arizona University graduate student Sydney Shevat further challenged council members to think beyond the boundaries of Flagstaff.

"Global change happens locally first," Shevat said.

After the public was finished sharing, the city councilmembers, with the exception of Lori Matthews, each reaffirmed their own personal belief in a woman's right to choose and voted in support of drafting a resolution and moving it forward for further discussion. Similar to the residents opposed to the resolution, Matthews said the topic of abortion is too politically charged and city council should instead be focused on things they can get done locally.

In contrast, after so many people shared their stories, newly elected council member Khara House felt compelled to share her own experiences with the reproductive health care system as a woman of color and survivor of sexual assault.

This is "not a politically charged issue but a personal one," House said, before arguing that making a statement in support of their community members is actually the job of the City Council.

A draft of the full resolution is available online as part of next week's City Council meeting agenda. Leaders in Tucson and Phoenix have passed similar resolutions in recent months and Flagstaff leaders are set to decide the fate of theirs on March 7.

Contact northern Arizona reporter Lacey Latch at llatch@gannett.com or on social media @laceylatch. Coverage of northern Arizona on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is funded by the nonprofit Report for America and a grant from the Vitalyst Health Foundation in association with The Arizona Republic.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Flagstaff City Council considers resolution supporting abortion rights