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City Council is considering legislation dealing with abortion rights and privacy. Council’s Finance Committee will review and refine the ordinance at its July 25 meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at Lakewood City Hall.
Ward 2 Councilman Jason Shachner, who introduced the ordinance July 5, said he expects the legislation to pass in September.
Council Vice President Sarah Kepple said the recent decision to retain the dispatch unit for police went into the idea for the ordinance.
“It would be nonsensical to then turn around and fund enforcement of draconian, medically dangerous and overreaching state laws that interfere with private healthcare decisions including fertility, miscarriage, contraceptive and abortion care,” Kepple said. “It is critical for our residents and the residents of Ohio to know that their voices matter, that elections matter, and that when they elect pro-choice public officials, we will continue to fight for them and their rights in every way we can. I hope that others whose bodily autonomy may not be directly impacted will rise to the example set by Councilman Shachner and that folks will get involved in elections and their government.”
The ordinance reads: No member of the Division of Police or other person acting on behalf of the Division of Police and/or the City of Lakewood or using resources, funds, or assets belonging to the Division of Police and/or the City of Lakewood shall:
Store or catalog any report of an abortion, miscarriage, or other reproductive act;
Provide information to any other governmental body or agency about any abortion, miscarriage, or other reproductive healthcare act, unless such information is provided to defend a patient’s ability to access abortion care or a healthcare provider’s ability to provide abortion care;
Investigate, make any arrest, or file any criminal complaint against any person accused of facilitating, providing, or receiving abortion care;
Cooperate with any other officer, agent, agency, or department that is investigating a person accused of facilitating, providing, or receiving abortion care;
Be the affiant for any affidavit in support of a search warrant related to an investigation of a person accused of facilitating, providing, or receiving abortion care; or
Participate in any prosecution in which a person is accused of facilitating, providing, or receiving abortion care.
“I did a lot of research beforehand. I'm sure that the law department will want to weigh in, in their analysis of whether this is a statute that conflicts with a general law,” Shachner said. “Based on my reading of recent Supreme Court, Ohio Supreme Court precedents, it does not, but we would like to see what the law department has to say too.
He said that council received some comments about how it may need to look at the fire department in terms of information that paramedics may retain in emergencies to ensure that anything that has to do with reproductive doesn't get shared with those who are seeking to investigate abortion care.
“That's one matter,” he said. “And I believe there are other recommendations on how to refine the language.”
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