In response to a controversial "fetal remains" ordinance passed by the Seaford City Council on Dec 14, the League of Women Voters of Delaware has released the following statement to the press:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECEMBER 20, 2021
CONTACT: GWENDOLYN MILLER, STATE BOARD PRESIDENT

The League of Women Voters of Delaware is outraged by the recently-adopted ordinance by the Seaford City Council to require burial or cremation of abortion and miscarriage remains.

The League believes that, in a pluralistic society, public policy mandates the constitutional right of privacy for the individual to make reproductive choices, and we oppose any threat to this basic constitutional right.

The requirements outlined in this ordinance do pose a threat to those who seek to carry out their constitutional right to privacy. The intent of the ordinance is clearly harassment - to add to the stress – and expense – that women face when they make the choice to have an abortion. Its goal is to put pressure on women to forgo this constitutional right.

Protecting a woman's right to make her own decision isn't much of a protection if the government can enact financial barriers that place an unnecessary burden on the woman's ability to make such a decision. For an individual municipality to do this is even more troubling in that it serves no public health function in which the state (let alone the municipality) might have a legitimate interest.

We stand with others who have spoken out against this ordinance and call upon the Attorney General to follow through with the plan to issue an injunction against the ordinance and file a law suit to declare it unconstitutional.

 The press release document is accessible here:  Press release-December 20 2021.pdf