A RESOLUTION affirming the City of Seattle’s support of Planned Parenthood and recognizing its vital role in providing health care.
Agenda item three. Resolution 31624. Affirming the City of Seattle, support of Planned Parenthood and recognizing its vital role in providing health care. Introduced October 19th, 2015. I move to adopt Council Resolution 31624 over the last excuse me, over the last several months, we've seen a lot of national news coverage and some here locally about Planned Parenthood. And this resolution with the mayor concurring expresses our gratitude and affirms the quality medical services that Planned Parenthood provides in the city of Seattle and throughout the state of Washington. Planned Parenthood offers cancer screenings, birth control for men and women in emergency contraception and everything else in between. They serve an average of 100,000 women and men in the state of Washington each year in providing medical services. Planned Parenthood is a trusted health care provider for one in five women in Seattle and across the United States. They provide crucial health care services to our citizens and residents. The city of Seattle, through this resolution, expresses its gratitude to Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands, which is our local affiliate for the health care that they provide to millions of people annually, including teenagers, people with limited incomes and other vulnerable populations. The city of Seattle, through this resolution, affirms its support for Planned Parenthood health centers in Seattle and elsewhere in carrying out their mission to safeguard and provide access to a fundamental human right. Basic medical care. Are there any other questions or comments. Down that way? Councilmember God. Well, I'm so very, very pleased. To see this resolution coming before us today. It's just really beyond reprehensible that the congressional. Republicans would use Planned Parenthood in Citizens Hill as if it were a mere. Bargaining chip. I must tell you that I go back quite a ways. I can remember the bad old days. I once accompanied a friend undergoing an abortion during the days when there were no safe legal options. We cannot go back. I will support women and families and stand with parents. Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood for voting. For this resolution today. Planned Parenthood is a vital, accessible medical. Care provider. For communities in Seattle. And throughout Puget Sound. And I am so grateful to be able to vote on this. Thank you, Councilmember. So on. Thank you, President Burgess. I concur with your comments. And I have to say, as a woman and as an elected official, I'm just absolutely fed up of the attack after attack on women's reproductive rights and women's health care with lies, violence and intimidation, the right wing is attempting to roll back the rights the women's movement have won in the 1970s. And these attacks have been going on for decades. But they have intensified and accelerated in the recent years. And everyone remembers just last month there was arson at the Planned Parenthood Health Care Center in Pullman. Large sections of the country have no abortion access at all. Women from Alaska come to Seattle because this is the closest place they can get their health care needs met. And how many women would be able to afford to fly to Seattle from Alaska to visit the doctor? We have to rebuild the women's movement, like the movement that won the abortion rights in the first place. We have to commend the courageous stand of the hashtag Shout Your Abortion Movement, which is reminiscent of the stand taken by women in the seventies who came out of the closet about their abortion rights. Special kudos to activists like Lindy West, who have been outspoken in their opposition to the attacks on women's rights. But we have to do more than just defend our existing rights. We, women and men and people of all genders have to build a movement for true single payer universal healthcare to guarantee all the health care needs of women and the trans community. We need to be able to fight for 12 weeks paid parental leave for all workers and ending the gender pay gap once and for all. Thank you. Councilmember O'Brien. I just want to add what a critical piece of our community Planned Parenthood is. They provide amazing resources and our society would be much worse off without them. It's appalling to see the attacks on them. And I appreciate folks bringing this resolution forward. I'll support it. Thank you. All in favor of adopting Resolution 31624 vote. I opposed vote no. The resolution is unanimously adopted and the chair will sign it. Member Larkana. Yes. I am circulating a letter that will be addressed to the Universal Protection Service. The this is the organization that recently updated the contract for providing security for the City Hall. The employees whom many of us know and enjoy their services and we consider them our friends. They are currently represented by SEIU Local Union six, and this letter simply expresses our support for these workers and encouraged the new owner to maintain their representation. Thank you. So we'll circulate that letter on the dais and to our security partners. Thank you. You do an excellent job, very professional, and we do consider you as our friends. Thank you. Any other business to come before the council? Councilmember O'Brien. I asked to be excused next Monday, October 26th. Second. It's moved in. Second, and the Councilmember O'Brien be excused next Monday. Any questions or comments? All in favor. Vote. I oppose. Vote no. You're excused. Councilmember Alarcon. Yes, I would also like to be excused. October 26. Sara, second. Second. Councilmember Licata wants to be excused also. We're dwindling quickly here. All in favor. Vote. I oppose. Vote no. You are excused. Anyone else? Thank you. That's the end of our meeting. So we'll.