Board of Supervisors vote to encourage reproductive health care

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday, July 5 to pass a resolution stating the County's support for reproductive health care and family planning services in the county and state.

As a matter of public health, it also pushes for ongoing access to abortion services in the County.

“Abortion is healthcare. This resolution positively asserts that fact and states our Health Department will continue to aid Pima County families in their reproductive health and family planning needs,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bronson, who brought the resolution to the Board for consideration. “While state law prohibits the County from providing full reproductive health services such as abortion, we’re not prevented from providing other services or accurate information about sexual and reproductive health.”

Bronson stated that Resolution 2022-40 is the board's reaction to the United States Supreme Court's June 24 Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade decision of 1973.

The Resolution states, “Abortion is a vital health care service that has been legal and safe in the United States for nearly 50 years. Access to legal, safe abortion, and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health more broadly, are critical to protecting and supporting the public’s health. The Supreme Court’s decision ends this basic right of safe access to appropriate health care for too many women and families in this country.”

The Resolution directs the County Administrator to:

• Ensure the Health Department provides a broad range of legal reproductive health services.
• Bring together community health care professionals for the County's reproductive care planning and delivery.
• Work with county, state, and national partners to communicate accurate sexual and reproductive health information and to advocate for evidence-based reproductive health care, including abortion.

Board Vice Chair Adelita Grijalva, who supports the Resolution in a statement preceding the vote, said: "The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade goes against the principles of democracy that are the core of our country. It denies civil rights to the people of the United States as well as their constitutional guarantee of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Criminalizing abortion needlessly endangers the lives of women and menstruators."

“Make no mistake, denying someone the choice to safely terminate their pregnancy is not about saving a possible life. It is a form of oppression. Forcing women and individuals who are pregnant to carry a child to term against their will puts their health at risk, strips them of bodily autonomy, and perpetuates the cycle of poverty. It’s sad that we live in a country where my daughter has fewer rights and freedoms than her mother and grandmother had. For these reasons, I stand in support of this resolution and what it stands for,” she added.

To assist County residents seeking reproductive health care, the Health Department last week developed a webpage that compiles all of the County's reproductive and family planning services.