If the Portland City Council passes the emergency draft resolution, employees in Portland, Oregon may be barred from traveling to Texas as part of a new law that boycotts the state’s prohibition of most abortions.
The office of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler originally expected the emergency draft resolution to be presented at the city council meeting on Wednesday, but the vote has been postponed until next week.
If passed, the resolution would prohibit the purchase of goods and services from Texas, as well as prohibit city employees from traveling to the state. Wheeler’s office stated that voting on the resolution was postponed to “best understand” the impact of the ban.
In a statement issued by Wheeler’s office on Friday, the abortion ban was accused of being unconstitutional, stating that it “violated the separation of church and state.”
The statement read: “This law does not express concerns about the health, safety and well-being of those who may become pregnant.” “This law rewards individuals who monitor and control the bodies of others.”
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Heather Hafer, spokesperson for the Office of Management and Finance, told Oregonian/Oregon Live In the past five years, the City of Portland has signed nearly $35 million in contracts with companies in Texas.
In addition, Harvard said that since 2019, Portland employees have traveled to Texas on official business 19 times.
“We urge other leaders and elected agencies across the country to join us in condemning the actions of the Texas state government,” said a statement from Wheeler’s office last week.
After news of a potential boycott came out, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick took Twitter During the Labor Day weekend, the most populous city in Oregon was described as a “dustbin fire” and Portland’s leaders were “degenerate.”
“Portland’s boycott of Texas is a total joke. A city led by fallen officials allows lawlessness and puts their citizens in serious danger,” Patrick tweeted. “Boycott will hurt them, not us.”
The new Texas law prohibits abortion after a medical professional detects heart activity, usually around six weeks or so-before some people know they are pregnant. The court has prevented other states from imposing similar restrictions, but the Texas law is very different because it will be enforced through litigation rather than criminal prosecutors.
this Supreme CourtThe decision made last week not to interfere with Texas law aroused the outrage of liberals and the cheers of many conservatives.
Wheeler said that if the resolution is passed, it will remain in effect until Texas either revokes the abortion law or is overturned in court.
