Bill to reimburse city employees who travel for ‘treatment related to reproductive rights’ introduced at council meeting

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Proposed legislation that would develop a reimbursement possibility for city staff who vacation for “medical treatments relevant to reproductive rights” was launched at the Jacksonville Town Council assembly on Tuesday.

Town Councilman Reggie Gaffney’s invoice has been assigned to various committees to overview.

At a news conference Monday on the methods of City Corridor, Gaffney, who is also functioning for a condition Senate seat, talked about the invoice. He claimed he does not believe that in abortion, but that is not stopping him from introducing the bill.

“I enjoy Jesus like any 1 individual, but I just believe that that a female has the right to choose what she wants to do with her human body, and I really do not consider it’s a man’s task to do that,” stated Gaffney.

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Study: Gaffney’s monthly bill on travel reimbursement for reproductive rights

Information4JAX first described about this invoice on Friday, and at that time, even nevertheless he introduced the laws, Gaffney didn’t want to talk about it on camera.

On Friday afternoon, Gaffney introduced a statement expressing, “As a guy of faith, utilizing this would not be my particular desire. Even so, as a legislator I signify all people and I will struggle for their liberty and their ideal to have alternatives, and each girl justifies this alternative.”

Gaffney’s monthly bill comes on the heels of a leaked original the greater part view from the Supreme Court docket on Roe v. Wade that has abortion legal rights advocates scrambling.

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If the draft from the Supreme Court retains, it basically sends the difficulty of abortion rights again to the states — like it was just before 1973, when the Roe selection established federally that a woman experienced the appropriate to have an abortion.

If states are in the driver’s seat for abortion legislation, Florida and Georgia both have Republican-dominated legislatures that have been efforting restricted abortion restrictions. Florida just handed a 15-7 days abortion ban, and Georgia’s fetal heartbeat legislation has been effectively halted by a federal court docket.

That suggests a nearby girl who desired to have an abortion may have to travel out of state, further than neighboring Ga, to legally have one particular.

Gaffney’s bill appears to be preparing for that probability by creating that Jacksonville metropolis staff members who choose for such cure could be reimbursed for their vacation fees.

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If passed, the bill would go into result July 1 and permit up to $4,000 in vacation costs per year for a metropolis worker for any medical remedies relevant to reproductive legal rights if that cure is not obtainable inside 100 miles of the employee’s property and virtual treatment is not doable.

According to the monthly bill, these treatment plans could involve medicine, treatments or functions — including terminating a being pregnant, employing contraceptives, family members setting up or getting obtain to reproductive health and fitness solutions.

Republican users of the City Council, like City Councilman Rory Diamond, say the invoice will never ever move.

As for the mayor’s office, this is one piece of legislation that it is not commenting on at this time.