John Mack - Newtown Supervisor

Resolutions & Ordinances in Support of Women's Reproductive Rights

By a vote of 3-1 The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) at its September 28, 2022, meeting, approved a Women’s Reproductive Rights Resolution, which may be the first such resolution passed by a Bucks County Township.

Some people and publications claim that at least 14 other PA townships and boroughs have passed identical or very similar resolutions. 

It's been reported by the Bucks County Beacon, for example, states that "Approximately 14 Pennsylvania municipalities have issued resolutions with matching verbiage [emphasis added] [to the Women's Reproductive Rights Resolution recently passed by Newtown Supervisors]." 

The article further states: "The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) provides template-like wording to its member communities to ensure that every municipality conveys the same message to legislators."

With regard to the latter claim, I contacted David M Sanko, PSATS Executive Director, who said: "Sadly, as we have come to learn, the media sometimes makes mistakes." which I take to mean that PSATS did NOT provide any template resolution.

Which Are the Other “14” Municipalities?

Sanders’ List

To find out the answer to that question, Newtown Township Solicitor Dave Sander, was asked to “confirm resolutions and ordinances of the kind [Newtown Twp] just passed.” Here’s his list (also see text message on right):

Adopted Resolutions:

  1. Collegeville
  2. Hatboro
  3. Haverford
  4. Norristown
  5. Upper Darby
  6. West Whiteland

Adopted Ordinances:

  1. Radnor
  2. Whitpain

Firstly, there are only 8 municipalities on Sanders’ List. Secondly, as of October 6, 2022, with the help of Mr. Sander, I have only been able to collaborate 4 municipalities that have passed resolutions and only two of these appears to have verbiage “matching” that of Newtown’s resolution. 

These are the four PA municipalities that have passed resolutions supporting women’s reproductive rights:

  1. West Whiteland Township (Chester County): Passed Resolution 2022-26 on August 10, 2022, Affirming Commitment to Valuing Reproductive Rights and Supporting Access to Abortion. Verbiage appears to match that of the NT resolution.
  2. Collegeville Borough (Montgomery County): Passed Resolution 22-08 on July 6, 2022, "confirming Collegeville Borough’s commitment to supporting women’s reproductive rights...”; Verbiage matches that of the NT resolution.
  3. Upper Darby Township (Delaware County): Passed Resolution No. 35-22 on August 10, 2022. It’s verbiage matches pretty closely that of the NT resolution except the Whereas's say "Council condemns," "Council honors," etc. It does not say "Upper Darby" and thus does not give the impression that it speaks for the entire township, which has been a criticism of the NT resolution*.
  4. Haverford Township (Delaware County): Passed Resolution No. 2270-2022 (Women's Health Bill) on July 11, 2022, which states “The Haverford Township Board of Commissioners calls on the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate to pass ‘Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021’ immediately.” This bill prohibits governmental restrictions on the provision of, and access to, abortion services. immediately provide abortion services when the provider determines a delay risks the patient's health. In contrast, the NT Resolution address the PA Assembly, “condemning any act by the Pennsylvania General Assembly or Congress of the United States to restricting access to [reproductive healthcare, including abortion].”

*I urged members of the Newtown BOS to remove “Newtown” in the Whereas’s and just say “Board of Supervisors condemns...”, etc. I was overruled.

Meanwhile, Radnor (Delaware County) and Whitpain (Montgomery County) have passed ordinance limiting the actions of their police departments with regard to abortions. Whitpain’s Ordinance No. 400, for example, states:

No police officer or other person acting under color of law on behalf of Whitpain Township or using resources or assets belonging to Whitpain Township shall conduct any investigation, make any arrest, file any criminal charges, cooperate with any other officer, agent, agency, or department, or participate in any prosecution in which a person is accused of facilitating, providing, or receiving abortion services with the consent of the pregnant person during the first twenty-four weeks of any pregnancy, or when the life or health of the pregnant person is endangered by continuation of the pregnancy.

The Bucks County Beacon appears to be biased and may be engaging in spreading misinformation as part of its mission to acts as a "catalyst for community organizing and action, and progressive change." IMHO, it's fine to be progressive, but not OK to promote misinformation, which I believe it is doing until the publication cites its sources for the above claims.