Abortion Zoning Measure Approved 7-0 By Alexandria City Council After Disruptions

ALEXANDRIA, VA — After disruptions from protesters yelling "abortion is murder," the Alexandria City Council unanimously approved a zoning amendment Saturday making it easier for abortion providers to open in the city.

The City Council had sought zoning tools to promote abortion access in a resolution approved in June 2022. The resolution was in response to the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, which reversed federal abortion protections under the 1973 Roe v. Wade case.

City staff came to the City Council with a proposal to amend health care facility definitions, allowing by-right medical offices or clinics with abortion services by-right in commercial and mixed-use zones. Providers with abortion services were included in the revised definitions of health profession offices and medical care facilities.

The proposal, which was adopted in a 7-0 vote, drew support from pro-abortion supporters and criticism from anti-abortion supporters.

The support came from members of the Alexandria Commission for Women. Lexi White, a commission member and policy director with Repro Rising Virginia, applauded the city for making abortion care welcome in the city and supporting reproductive freedom.

"In a post-Roe America, abortion healthcare is still legal in the Commonwealth of Virginia. But amidst heightened and politically motivated threats that jeopardize access to care, it will be up to states and localities to protect access to critical health care now more than ever," said White. "Even in a place like Virginia where abortion remains legal, barriers to abortion healthcare are already many and continue to impact people, families and communities who are already facing disproportionate barriers to care on multiple fronts."

Others spoke out against by-right abortion clinics, including former Alexandria Vice Mayor Bill Cleveland, the first Black Republican on the City Council. Cleveland said he was called a baby killer when returning from military service in Vietnam and remembers marches against abortion when serving with the U.S. Capitol Police.

"On the Alexandria City Council I was known as Dr. No," said Cleveland. "So what I'm asking you today is saying no to this text amendment, and save the human babies."

Penny Nance, an Alexandria resident who heads the conservative-focused Concerned Women for America, showed a picture of a fetus during testimony while criticizing the "ramifications" that the zoning measure would have for the city. Nance called for other opportunities for the city to help women.

"It is easy to write a check and send a woman on her way, give her an abortion and she's no problem for you. Well, it's a problem for her," said Nance. "It's a problem for her soul, it's a problem for her heart. Her emotions, and in many cases, physical limitations later."

Several church leaders also spoke out against the abortion zoning measure.

The Rev. Christopher Christensen, pastor of St. Rita Catholic Church, said, "those who support abortion deal in death claiming to promote life." He asked if hard questions about abortion can be ignored, such as what happens to the bodies of aborted babies or whether some women at abortion clinics are victims of human trafficking.

"I do not speak with any intention to condemn. I speak today with clarity in order to bring light and not darkness," said Christensen. "I'm in the ministry of healing and forgiveness and mercy. But wounds which are hidden cannot be tended. For healing to take place, we have to shed light on the wound. So I beg you to instead of including abortion in this amendment, please consider real and effective ways to support our women and our children."

Elise Ketch, an Alexandria business co-owner and member of the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, spoke about the potential impacts of an abortion clinic being allowed near her business.

"It distresses me that right next to the shop I labored so hard with my loved ones to build, an abortion business could be established," said Ketch. "My family would not in good conscience be able to operate next to a murder mill, let alone with all the potential protesters disrupting our business. We'd have to uproot our beloved store and really relocate elsewhere."

City Council members spoke in support of the zoning measure to help with abortion access.

"This is about a woman's right to choose, an individual's right to choose and that abortion is women's health care," said Vice Mayor Amy Jackson.

Mayor Justin Wilson criticized the "malicious fiction" that the city isn't focused enough on supporting women and children, as suggested in email and in-person testimony. While noting anti-abortion speakers were thrown out of City Council chambers for disrupting the abortion discussion, they weren't involved in other city discussions about women's and children's issues.

"Just once, I would like someone to get thrown out of this chamber for the fact that we have 20 percent of our kids starting kindergarten without a preschool education," said Wilson. "Never seen anybody come and get thrown out of our chamber because of the achievement gap in our schools. I've never seen people come and get thrown out of our chamber because of staffing challenges we have in our out-of-school time programs and summer camps and things like that, that work to support women and families throughout our community."

Councilmember Canek Aguirre noted the concern about human trafficking victims, but wanted to see data on how prevalent they are among women at abortion clinics.

"I'd love to see the numbers on that because while it's a problem, I don't think it's the majority of what's going on," said Aguirre. "And I think that's part of the issue with this issue, because we're a lot of times talking about the fringe parts of it. We're talking about such small numbers out of what the majority of women are going for, for personal care, women's care."

There is already one abortion clinic within the City of Alexandria which offers an abortion pill for patients up to 11 weeks into pregnancy and abortions up to 20 weeks.