EDMONDS — Wearing a white winged bonnet and blood-red cloak, Cassie Friedle approached the podium in Edmonds City Council chambers.
Her outfit was reminiscent of a character from The Handmaid’s Tale, a television series based on a 1980s book about a dystopian future where women have been stripped of their rights and forced into sexual servitude and surrogacy.
“No one should have to be forced to be an incubator because it’s God’s will,” she said. “Yet, across the nation women of all ages are being forced to carry a handful of cells that could kill them. … Edmonds demands that you protect its daughters and push forward in securing reproductive rights in this city.”
On Tuesday, Edmonds became maybe the first city in Snohomish County, and among the first in the state, to deliver a formal response to the Supreme Court erasure of abortion rights protections enshrined in Roe v. Wade .
It was a rebuke and a defiant affirmation of reproductive rights by a nearly unanimous City Council.
On a 6-0 vote, the council approved a resolution urging access to abortion, contraception and reproductive health care be carved into the state and U.S. constitutions. Councilmember Neil Tibbott was not present.
It also supports increasing oversight of hospital mergers “that have often interfered with the provision of reproductive health services for all people.”
A decade ago Swedish Medical Center, which has an Edmonds hospital, merged with Providence Health and Services, a Catholic organization. After the merger, The Seattle Times reported the plan was for Swedish to outsource “elective abortions and other reproductive health services that violate Catholic doctrine.”
According to its website, Swedish clinicians may perform pregnancy terminations when necessary, “on an emergency basis.”
And the resolution makes it a policy of the city to refrain from cooperating with out of state law enforcement, public entities or private parties “if the matter concerns abortion-related conduct or other reproductive health care or services that are lawful in Washington.” The language was taken from Gov. Jay Inslee’s recent directive barring the Washington State Patrol from abetting out-of-state parties.
“We choose to be a leader in protecting human rights, equity, public safety and social well-being,” said Edmonds City Council member Laura Johnson, who co-authored the resolution.
Late Wednesday, Mayor Mike Nelson applauded the council’s decision.
“I cannot think of a better time for those in elected office to reassure our most vulnerable residents of the state protections and laws currently in place to protect their access to reproductive health care services,” he said in a statement.
Laura Johnson and Councilmember Susan Paine attempted to pass a similar measure last week but lacked enough votes to get it on the agenda.
They faced some opposition Tuesday as Council President Vivian Olson moved for the council to take no action for fear it would inflame an already divided community.
“I would like us to not be weighing in on national issues. We’re the only ones. Other cities chose not to get involved,” she said. “I’m just saying I do not want to speak on behalf of the community.”
Her motion failed.
Paine and Laura Johnson both said they opposed doing nothing.
“This is a resolution — as has been talked about — that has direct impacts on the most intimate decision making any family makes,” Paine said. “This is stuff that happens at kitchen tables, on the phone, everywhere.”
Councilmember Will Chen argued while abortion rights were once a national issue, the Supreme Court effectively handed them down to states and local government.
Chen said preserving people’s right to choose is especially important to him. “I was born and raised in China,” he said. “… My relatives went through forced abortions because of the one-child policy in our state.”
As a result of the policy, his sister was forced to hide her child, he told The Daily Herald.
“I immigrated as a first-generation (resident) to this country with the idea of pursuing freedom,” Chen said. “For that reason, I think we need to send a message to our lawmakers that states we want freedom.”
Councilmember Diane Buckshnis said she was unsure whether Edmonds ought to contribute to the partisan debate around abortion rights — despite personal experience.
While working as a hotel maid “I saw what happens when someone tries to self abort,” Buckshnis said, choking up. “And it wasn’t pretty.”
In the first 90 minutes of the meeting, emotions surged among residents in a back-and-forth debate.
Abortion opponents praised the Supreme Court decision and argued the resolution was unnecessary because abortion rights are already protected in the state.
“They have corrected their error after nearly 50 years and the death of over 63 million unborn babies,” said Patti Whitmarsh. “Using your City Council position to further your opinion or ideological view … is outside your jurisdiction and does not represent myself nor many Edmonds citizens. No city council should ever deny an unborn baby its life or right to live.”
Denise Alvarado said certain council members “are fear-mongering with this resolution in what appears to be a knee-jerk and incredibly partisan reaction.”
Abortion rights supporters blasted the ruling, countering it would be cowardly for council members to stay silent.
“I am terribly, terribly angry and disappointed that now, for the first time in our history, generations of young women now have fewer rights than their mothers,” said Carin Chase, an Edmonds school board member and Democrat Party activist. “We need to know that our leaders have our back, that they recognize that our rights are under attack, and that I’m urging everyone in our discussion to support this resolution that’s been brought forward.”
Friedle delivered a blunt warning to the council: protect Edmonds’ daughters or face repercussions from those like herself who “will do everything in our power to unseat you.”
The resolution will appear on the consent agenda for final approval in two weeks.
Isabella Breda: 425-339-3192; isabella.breda@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @BredaIsabella.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @dospueblos.
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