A city council in Ohio voted to ban abortions Tuesday night and called itself a “sanctuary city for the unborn.”
The Lebanon City Council’s vote was unanimous after one member quit in protest, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer, and the law is reportedly in full effect for the city of 20,000 people, as abortion rights groups are already preparing lawsuits. Exemptions for rape or incest were not included in the ordinance.
“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,” mayor Amy Brewer said after many in the community attended the meeting to share stories about rape or miscarriages. “We are elected to make decisions based on what’s good for our community today.”
There are also no abortion clinics in the city as is, and none are being planned, according to the Enquirer. Councilmember Krista Wyatt resigned before the vote.
“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 to Fox19.
The city council has already updated its website to account for the vacant spot. The six councilmembers who voted Tuesday are Vice Mayor Mark Messer, Brewer, Wendy Monroe, Doug Shope, Adam Matthews and Joe Shafer.
Resident Veronica Strevel attended the meeting Tuesday to speak up, and claim that their decision is an overreach for city council.
“It worries me because every Lebanon citizen needs a chance to speak and that shouldn’t get convoluted by outside influences,” she said. “I want people to know that this is not okay. It’s not okay for our rogue city council to take it upon themselves to create an ordinance without consulting its citizens.”
Kersha Deibel, president & CEO of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio, said in a statement that the vote is a “threat to the health and safety of those living in our state.”
“Abortion services are already extremely difficult to access for people in Ohio, but these efforts are part of an aggressive, nationwide anti-abortion agenda to do one thing – ban abortion outright. It’s reprehensible,” Deibel wrote. “We will do everything we can to continue providing safe, legal abortion to the people in Ohio who need it – no matter what.”
