MANHATTAN, Mont. - The Manhattan Town Council voted against further discussion on a proposed ordinance that would ban medication that induces abortion at the council meeting Thursday night. 

The ordinance, submitted by Councilman Josh Powell for the agenda on Monday, would have also declared Manhattan a sanctuary for the unborn. 

The council vote was split and broken by Mayor Glen Clements, who voted in favor of not pursuing the ordinance. 

Clements said this would not have been the final hearing on the matter if they voted to continue discussion, and there would have been at least three more council meetings to discuss the ordinance before finally voting whether to approve it. 

The current copy of the ordinance was basically a rough draft, Clements said. The town attorney would have been directed to draft a final copy for the town of Manhattan if the council voted in favor. 

Planned Parenthood of Montana was also aware of the ordinance said External Affairs Director Quinn Leighton. Regardless of whether the ordinance would have passed in Manhattan, state law would have remained the same, they said. 

“I want to make it clear and make sure folks understand that abortion is still safe and legal across the entire state of Montana,” Leighton said. 

Nonstop Local also reached out to Councilman Powell, but he has not responded yet. 

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