About three months into leading the first all-women city council in the history of St. Paul, Minnesota, Council President Mitra Jalali touted lawmakers’ efforts and responsibility to protect abortion and transgender rights.
“Abortion is protected [in the state constitution], but we went ahead and passed legislation to codify that. One of the few abortion care-providing clinics in the Twin Cities is in my ward, and we play a role in just supporting the clinic,” Jalali said in an interview with The Recount. “I'm like Planned Parenthood's councilwoman in St. Paul.”
The Democrat also told The Recount that the council has moved to protect trans rights as they are rolled back in other parts of the country:
“We've taken steps for reproductive freedom and autonomy through becoming a trans refuge state. So, there's also so much demand for mental health, and gender reassignment, and other related services that are part of just trans health. And we have an ecosystem of organizations doing that work to literally raise those funds, expand those services.”
