San Clemente councilman proposes resolution to ban abortions in the city
With the vast majority of Californians support a woman's right to control her own reproductive health, one Orange County councilman has been pushing for a ban on abortion rights in his city.
"Are we prepared to fill this room with people yelling at each other?" Mayor Gene James said in a city council meeting, warning of the consequences of delving into an abortion rights debate.
City Councilman Steve Knoblock has proposed a resolution banning abortions in San Clemente.
"The issue is now in our jurisdiction. It's in the state of California," Knoblock said.
Councilman Knoblock's resolution says in part:
"...The City Council of San Clemente considers life to begin at conception...the Council stands firmly against any medications which cause a miscarriage...the Council...stands firmly against the presence in the City of Planned Parenthood clinics or any other clinics where abortion is practiced..."
The resolution does make exceptions for rape and incest and says that enforcement would be within the power and authority of the council.
"I don't think this is something cities should be dealing with," Chris Duncan, a fellow San Clemente City Councilman, told CBSLA.
Duncan, who is also a candidate for state assembly does not agree with Knoblock's proposed resolution.
"I'll say it pretty bluntly. I believe a woman has a right to choose, not the government. And I'm very strong on women making their own decisions about their own healthcare choices for their own bodies," he added.
Knoblock's move to deprive women of their reproductive freedom is not his first push into national politics.
"I believe you came up with a motion that you wanted the city council to take a position on marriage -- between a man and a woman -- and I believe it was shot down," another council person said to Knoblock during the meeting. "Now, you're taking a position on abortion."
"I'm asking the city council to consider that, that's exactly what I'm doing," Knoblock responded.
San Clemente residents are already gearing up to speak out at the next council meeting.
"First of all, I do not believe the city council has any business passing a resolution about something so divisive and so personal," one resident said.
"I don't support a ban on abortion anywhere in the United States," said another.
A third resident who spoke to CBSLA, though, said she believes that life starts at conception, in the womb.
CBSLA spoke Mayor James Wednesday, who said that while he calls himself "pro-life," he said the resolution should be pulled because it's divisive.
Councilman Knoblock has so far not responded to requests for comments.
The council meets again on August 16 and the public can speak out at that time.
