City council chooses to steer clear of abortion debate, lacking authority over new Casper clinic
CASPER, Wyo. — Some residents asked the city council during its meeting on Tuesday to take action to oppose the opening of a new clinic that will offer abortions.
Julie Burkhart, founder of Wellspring Health Access, said in an email on Tuesday morning that the clinic still plans to open in Casper this summer and offer abortion and other reproductive health service options to women despite reports that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade.
The city lacks authority to prevent the clinic from opening and offering abortion services so long as abortion remains legal, Mayor Ray Pacheco said Tuesday. He noted his personal stance on the issue is pro-life. With some residents asking the council to adopt resolutions indicating a pro-life stance, Pacheco asked whether the council would like to add discussion of the abortion clinic as a topic at a work session.
Councilmember Bruce Knell said his personal stance is also in opposition to abortion, but that he does not think it would be appropriate for the city council to take the topic up during a work session since it lacks authority to do anything to stop the clinic from opening. With abortion an emotional topic for some, debating it could lead to some division on the city council, something Knell said he would rather avoid.
“I don’t think it is a conversation that we as a council should have,” he said.
With abortion an “intensely partisan issue,” councilmember Amber Pollock expressed agreement with Knell that the council shouldn’t touch it. She expressed pride in serving on a nonpartisan governing body and noted that the council has “no jurisdiction to make tangible change even if we wanted to.”
Council members Jai-Ayla Southerland and Kyle Gamroth both expressed agreement with Knell and Pacheco’s reluctance to take up discussion of the issue.
“I don’t see much value in us taking a stand on it one way or another,” Gamroth said, adding that he agreed a debate on the topic could cause some division.
The Supreme Court confirmed the authenticity of a draft opinion document Politico reported Monday night that was circulating among justices earlier in the year, suggesting a majority support overturning Roe, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. However, the court said the document did not represent a final decision or the final position of any justice on the matter, according to AP.
Wyoming has a so-called “trigger law” on the books that would ban abortion if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade. Abortion would be banned in Wyoming except in cases of incest, rape, or when the woman would be at risk of serious, irreversible harm or death by carrying on the pregnancy. “Psychological or emotional conditions” are not included in the exception. The law, passed earlier this year, would take effect five days after the state certifies any Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.