Naples Daily News - 06/21/2021
MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 | NAPLESNEWS.COM
Some urge Naples abortion ban
Council members split on
whether to consider idea
Omar Rodríguez Ortiz
Naples Daily News
USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA
Naples City Council should not dis-
cuss during a council meeting a pro-
posed ordinance that would outlaw
abortions within city limits, four out of
seven councilors have said.
In recent months, supporters of an
abortion ban have protested at City Hall
multiple times and have taken over the
public comment section of council
meetings demanding council members
put the proposed ordinance on the
agenda.
‘The best night of my life!’
‘Idol’ star Casey Bishop
rocks Fort Myers fans
Charles Runnells Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA
Casey Bishop has had lots of great
nights recently: Performing with coun-
try star Luke Bryan. Getting singing
tips from Incubus and Coldplay. And
making it all the way to the Top 4 on
“American Idol.”
But Saturday night in Fort Myers?
That might just have topped them
all.
More than 750 people showed up in
the Buddha LIVE parking lot to see
Bishop perform her first-ever home-
town concert. It was a bigger audience
than she ever saw in “Idol’s” socially
distanced theater.
Bishop, 16, laughed with delight and
grinned out into the cheering crowd
between songs.
“I can’t even believe this!” she said at
one point during Saturday’s concert.
“Thank you all so much for coming!
Wow.”
Her 40-minute show was packed
with songs she’d performed on “Amer-
ican Idol”: Soundgarden’s “Black Hole
Sun.” The jazz standard “My Funny
Valentine.” Alanis Morissettes’s “Iron-
ic.” Her pop single “Love Me, Leave
Me.” And lots more.
The crowd responded enthusiasti-
cally. They hooted and hollered. They
See BISHOP, Page 12A
“American Idol” semifinalist Casey
Bishop, 16, played in front of a local
audience during her first hometown
concert on Saturday. The outdoor
event was held at The Buddha LIVE.
RICARDO ROLON/USA TODAY NETWORK -
FLORIDA
June 21, 2021 9:29 am (GMT -4:00)
Mayor Teresa Heitmann, Vice Mayor
Terry Hutchison and Councilman Ted
Blankenship told the Naples Daily News
on Thursday they want to discuss the
proposed ordinance at a council meet-
ing, while Councilmen Ray Christman,
Paul Perry and Gary Price said they
would not.
Councilman Mike McCabe did not
immediately respond to an interview re-
quest, but at a council meeting in March
he said, “I don’t think that is a local issue
we should deal with.”
Heitmann said outlawing abortions
in the city is a zoning issue that should
be discussed by council members dur-
ing a public meeting. Heitmann said she
is “pro-life.”
See ABORTION, Page 10A
Page : A01
PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
Collier County residents Leroy and Kay Chamness show their support for
proclaiming Naples a sanctuary city for unborn children Wednesday at Naples
City Hall. JON AUSTRIA/NAPLES DAILY NEWS - USA TODAY NETWORK - FLORIDA
Florida law bars
craft brewers
from selling to
other retailers
Distributor system has
roots in Prohibition’s end
Suzy Fleming Leonard
Florida Today
USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA
Jason Estes serves craft beer from
around Florida and across the country
at Village Idiot Pub in Cocoa Village, but
he cannot stock any from Dirty Oar Beer
Company down the street, although
he’d like to.
Dirty Oar, a small operation produc-
ing less than 300 barrels a year, doesn’t
sell through a distributor. In Florida, it’s
illegal for a brewery to sell its beer di-
rectly to another business.
“If they could self-distribute, it would
be awesome for them and for us,” Estes
said.
Village Idiot does carry beer from
Bugnutty Brewing Company, another
Cocoa Village brewery, which has a con-
tract with Orlando-based Sunshine
State Distributing.
Owner Jon Sheldon said he could
wheel a keg to the pub in less than 5
minutes using a handcart. Instead, a
Sunshine State representative picks up
Bugnutty’s beer and takes it back to Or-
lando. Florida law requires the beer
“come to rest” in the wholesaler’s ware-
house before it can be delivered to the
retailer. Only after the beer makes a stop
in Orlando can it come back to the Vil-
lage Idiot. Even beer destined for Rec
225, which is in the same building as the
brewery, has to travel to Orlando first.
Sheldon and his partner Steve Shan-
non don’t want to get into the distribu-
tion business, “but it would be great to
See BREWERS, Page 8A
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 Naples Daily News - 06/21/2021
10A | MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 | NAPLES DAILY NEWS
Abortion
Continued from Page 1A
“There are not abortion clinics within
the city. I don’t see any reason to have
that type of zoning,” Heitmann said.
Hutchison said a group of residents is
requesting that their elected repre-
sentatives discuss an issue that is im-
portant to them.
“I welcome the opportunity to do
that,” Hutchison said.
Hutchison said he is leaning towards
allowing residents to vote via referen-
dum instead of a council vote.
Blankenship said council should dis-
cuss the proposal and potentially vote it
up or down.
“It does not mean we would put it for
a vote right away,” Blankenship said.
Council should not consider the pro-
posed ordinance because it is not a pri-
ority for the city unlike managing
growth and protecting the environment,
Councilman Ray Christman said.
Christman also said rules regulating
abortion should be addressed by the
state and federal governments.
“This is not an issue that the majority
of our residents wants us to address,”
Christman said.
Councilman Paul Perry said council
should not discuss the proposed ordi-
nance because abortion is regulated at
the state and federal levels.
“It has no business being on the
agenda,” Perry said.
Like Heitmann, Price said it is a zon-
ing issue, but he said it is not the city’s
business to prohibit abortions.
“That is up to the people’s personal
rights and decisions,” Price said.
On March 15, council did not reach a
consensus to discuss the ordinance,
council meeting minutes show.
Anti-abortion ordinance explained
The proposed ordinance would make
it unlawful for anyone to procure, aid or
perform an abortion at any stage of
pregnancy, according to a draft submit-
ted to council in March by Bill Oppen-
heimer, president of Action for Life Inc.,
an anti-abortion organization.
In May, Oppenheimer filed a form
designating a campaign treasurer and
bank account, signaling he is running
for City Council in 2022.
Providing transportation to and from
an abortion clinic and money to cover
costs associated with an abortion would
be unlawful, according to the proposed
June 21, 2021 9:29 am (GMT -4:00)
+
Bill Oppenheimer, president of Action for Life Inc., records as community
members speak during a public comment section of a Naples City Council
meeting Wednesday at Naples City Hall. JON AUSTRIA/NAPLES DAILY NEWS - USA TODAY
NETWORK - FLORIDA
ordinance.
“It makes abortion a criminal of-
fense,” Oppenheimer said Monday.
If a physician certifies that the preg-
nancy places the woman in danger of
death or “serious risk of substantial im-
pairment of a major bodily function,”
the abortion would not be unlawful. The
burden of proving this would fall on ac-
cused violators, the proposed ordinance
states.
Any person or entity who commits a
violation would be subject to a fine of
$5,000, the proposed ordinance states.
“There is no exception for rape or in-
cest,” Oppenheimer said.
The city would be unable to enforce
these violations until the U.S. Supreme
Court overturns two cases that protect
the right to have an abortion, the pro-
posed ordinance states.
The city could also enforce the ordi-
nance if a state or federal court decides
that the penalty or threat of penalty
against a person or entity will not im-
pose an “undue burden” on women
seeking abortions, or if the courts de-
cide that violators “lack third-party
standing to assert the rights of women
seeking abortions in court,” the pro-
posed ordinance states.
Oppenheimer said doctors who per-
form abortions could be held criminally
liable but not the mothers.
“That is the goal, to put the burden on
the doctor,” Oppenheimer said.
Almost all “private citizens of Flori-
da” may “bring an action” to enforce this
ordinance against a person or entity
that commits or plans to commit a vio-
lation, the proposed ordinance states.
“Family members could sue the doc-
tor for doing an abortion,” Oppenheimer
said.
Council would need legal advice be-
fore voting on the proposal, Blanken-
ship said.
“I think we would need a significant
amount of advice to see what features of
it would be allowed under the Florida
constitution,” Blankenship said.
In support of the proposed ordi-
nance, people held anti-abortion signs
at City Hall on Wednesday morning and
requested City Council put it to a vote.
Holding a black and white sign de-
claring Naples a “sanctuary city for the
unborn,” Collier County resident Leroy
Chamness said abortion is morally
wrong.
“We should encourage people to pro-
tect life,” Chamness said.
The sanctuary movement began in
Texas in 2019, and its members claim
similar laws have been approved in 30
jurisdictions across Texas, Ohio and Ne-
braska.
“We were created in the image of
God,” Chamness said.
Naples resident Colette Scheuer-
mamn said God is “pro-life.”
“We must listen to his voice,” Scheu-
ermamn said.
Collier resident Therese Blewett said
the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court
in Roe v. Wade was a “terrible idea.” In
At the HEART of
what matters most.
Page : A10
1973, the court decided that excessively
restrictive state abortion regulations
are unconstitutional.
“The decision allowed for the death
of many babies to take place,” Blewett
said.
“They are precious in the eyes of the
Lord, and we need to protect them,” Ble-
wett said.
Not all people present at City Hall
support the proposed ordinance.
Naples resident Kate Tardif said
council should not consider the pro-
posed ordinance because it will create
further disruption among city resi-
dents. Tardif also said women have the
right to get abortions.
“I believe in the woman’s right to
choose how she manages her body and
her life,” Tardif said.
What does Planned Parenthood
have to say about it?
Stephanie Fraim, president and CEO
of Planned Parenthood in Southwest
and Central Florida, said in an interview
with the Naples Daily News that it feels
like the purpose of the proposed ordi-
nance is to intimidate and threaten peo-
ple who seek an abortion.
Planned Parenthood is a national or-
ganization that provides abortion, birth
control, pregnancy testing, and sexually
transmitted disease testing, treatment
and vaccine services, with clinics in
Collier and Lee counties.
“This is really about intimidation and
threats, not about sensible health care
and sensible laws,” Fraim said.
Fraim said making abortion less ac-
cessible can result in people with eco-
nomic needs attempting to self-induce
abortions, which is unsafe.
“People who are well-off and wealthy
in Naples will fly off wherever to get the
health care that they need,” Fraim said.
Fraim invited Oppenheimer, the pro-
ponent of the ordinance, to partner with
Planned Parenthood to make contra-
ceptives more accessible and afford-
able, preventing unwanted pregnancies
and reducing the number of abortions.
“If people were really interested in re-
ducing the number of abortions, they
would partner with an organization like
Planned Parenthood to make sure that
everyone has the birth control and the
maternal health care they need,” Fraim
said
Contact Omar at omar.rodriguezor-
tiz@naplesnews.com, and follow him
on Twitter as @Omar_fromPR. Support
his work by subscribing to Naples Daily
News.
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