Portland to vote on banning travel, trade with Texas to protest abortion law; Texas lt. gov. fires back: 'Portland is a dumpster fire'

The Portland City Council plans to vote on prohibiting business transactions with the state of Texas over its new law that bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected.

The Portland City Council is set to hold a vote on Wednesday on whether to ban trading goods and services with Texas and to bar city employee business travel to the Lone Star State.

Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) said on Friday that the city council would vote on the emergency resolution that will determine whether or not Portland bans the "future procurement of goods and services from, and City employee business travel to, the state of Texas."

"The Portland City Council stands unified in its belief that all people should have the right to choose if and when they carry a pregnancy and that the decisions they make are complex, difficult, and unique to their circumstances," Wheeler said in a statement. "The ban will be in effect until the state of Texas withdraws its unconstitutional ban on abortion or until it is overturned in court. City legal counsel is currently evaluating the legal aspects of this proposed resolution."

"This law does not demonstrate concern for the health, safety, and well-being of those who may become pregnant," Wheeler added. "This law rewards private individuals for exercising surveillance and control over others' bodies. It violates the separation of church and state. And, it will force people to carry pregnancies against their will."

Wheeler claimed the new law "allows Texas to outlaw an estimated 85% of all abortion procedures in the state."

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) fired back at the potential boycott by calling Portland a "dumpster fire."

"Portland boycotting Texas is a complete joke," Patrick wrote on Twitter. "A city led by depraved officials allows lawlessness, putting their citizens in grave danger. A boycott will hurt them, not us. Texas' economy is stronger than ever. We value babies and police, they don't."

"It's comical that Portland mayor @tedwheeler is worried about Texas when his city defunded the police and he had to ask citizens to 'take back the city.' Texas is solidly #prolife and Texans support law enforcement. Meanwhile, Portland is a dumpster fire and Texas is thriving," Patrick boasted.

Senate Bill 8, known as the Texas Heartbeat Act, bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually about six weeks into a pregnancy. In the legislation, which was signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), physicians are banned from "knowingly perform[ing] or induce[ing] an abortion on a pregnant woman if the physician detected a fetal heartbeat for the unborn child ... or failed to perform a test to detect a fetal heartbeat."

The law allows citizens to sue medical providers who perform an abortion after a fetal heartbeat has been detected, as well as people who "knowingly" assist a prohibited abortion. Those who aid or abet an illegal abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected can be sued for statutory damages for at least $10,000.

The U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to not block S.B. 8 last week.

The Texas Heartbeat Act went into effect on Wednesday. There was reportedly a mad dash by women to get abortions in Texas before the new abortion law went into effect.

The Texas Tribune noted, "Most abortions in Texas were prohibited after about 20 weeks. Pill-induced abortions were barred at 10 weeks."