The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday expressing the City’s opposition to the stat’s new abortion law, which outlaws abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy.
Councilmember Amir Farokhi, who introduced the legislation, said he believes the 13-0 vote is an important statement.
“As the state’s largest city, it’s important that we join the chorus of Georgians speaking out for a woman’s right to choose,” Farokhi said. “The values represented in that bill are not those held by the majority of Atlantans.”
In addition to Georgia, similar legislation has passed in Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, and Ohio in recent weeks.
Farokhi said he believes that the new law, and other laws like it, are an affront to rights set forth in the Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court.
“Every woman has the right to choose,” he said. “It’s not a decision that the government or, frankly, men, have any business interfering with. No woman should live in fear of prison time or the death penalty for making a decision regarding her health. Likewise, doctors should not fear imprisonment for doing their job.”
The Atlanta City Council vote comes in the wake of recent statements by district attorneys from metro counties, including Fulton and DeKalb, that they would not prosecute pursuant to the state legislation. The City Council bill was introduced as a show of solidarity.
The resolution is subject to approval by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
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