NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – New Orleans city council members will meet Thursday to consider making abortion investigations a low priority, but one New Orleans woman wants the council to go further than that.
Amy Marquis has started a petition, calling on council members to provide protections for citizens who are seeking access to safe and legal abortion.
Marquis is also asking that women’s bodily autonomy be protected, as well as the right to make private medical decisions.
According to a spokesperson for Councilmember-At-Large Helena Moreno, the resolution that was co-authored by all seven council members is modeled after the City of Austin’s GRACE Act.
The GRACE Act is a policy recommendation, recommending that city funds shouldn’t be used to solicit, catalog, report, or investigate reports of abortion.
It also recommends that police should make investigating abortion their lowest priority.
“I know the city council has already taken steps to deprioritize prosecuting abortion cases here in the city, which I think is a great first step,” said Amy Marquis. “I’d like to see more proactive measures taken by the city council, and that’s what this petition is for.”
According to legal experts, the proposed resolution is the furthest the city council can take it without superseding state law.
The council will meet Thursday at 10 a.m. to discuss adopting the resolution.