Some San Clemente officials wanted the city to become a so-called “sanctuary for life.” City Councilman Steven Knoblock issued a proposal that said “life began at conception,” and wouldn’t let a facility open if it performed abortions. The council voted 3-1 against the proposal on Saturday after pressure from residents.
This resolution is performative politics, and “life beginning at conception” was more of a philosophical statement than a city policy, says LA Times columnist Gustavo Arellano.
San Clemente Mayor Gene James favored the resolution before Saturday’s meeting, Arellano says. “He even said, ‘I'm for abortion, I'm pro-life. But there's different gradations of pro-life.’ So he said, ‘This is not my version of pro-life. I cannot stand by this.’”
James decided to distance himself from Knobloc’s position because it meant potentially losing votes, Arellano points out.
“San Clemente is a very Republican city. And yet, even for those people, abortion access is important.”
He adds, “It is going to be a very interesting midterms in 2022. … If you have Republicans going against resolutions that are ostensibly pro-life, that tells you a lot about what they're expecting the voters are going to be caring about this coming November.”