Abortion-Related Ordinance Tabled By Seaford City Council

Seaford City Council has tabled a proposed ordinance that would have required an abortion provider to bury remains or have them cremated, and would not allow them to be considered “medical waste.” A vote was expected at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Under the proposal, a woman who seeks an abortion would be able to choose cremation or interment or leave the decision up to the provider.

Planned Parenthood is opening a regional facility in Seaford that would provide services including abortion.

ACLU of Delaware and Planned Parenthood raised objections to the ordinance. ACLU of Delaware Director Mike Brickner, in a Tweet, called it a blatant violation of the Constitution as well as state law. Planned Parenthood of Delaware President and CEO Ruth Lytle-Barnaby said in a statement the proposal would be harmful to people in Seaford and the surrounding area by subjecting them to medically unnecessary restrictions that are intended to shame and stigmatize those who choose to seek an abortion.

Hours before the meeting, Seaford Mayor David Genshaw told WGMD’s Mike Bradley “it does not prevent or restrict any rights women have to an abortion. It’s just handling those remains in a dignified manner. I think people in our community overwhelmingly support this ordinance and this act.”

Genshaw also said the ordinance was modeled after an Indiana law that withstood court challenges.