GILLETTE—After a tense Gillette City Council meeting, $30,000 in funding for Gillette Reproductive Health was returned to the city’s 2025-2026 budget during a third and final reading with a 5-2 vote.
Gillette Mayor Shay Lundvall, Ward One Representative Jim West, Ward Two’s Tim Carsrud and Ward Three’s Heidi Gross and Nathan McLeland voted last week to reintroduce the funding.
Voting against the measure was Ward One’s Chris Smith and Ward Two’s Jack Clary, the latter having proposed the initial removal of the funding during the first reading earlier this month, which had passed with a 4-3 vote.
Ahead of the proposed amendment, the council heard dozens of pleas from citizens of the city and wider Campbell County area during the budget’s public forum, with the majority asking them to restore the funding.
“It is easy to stand at a podium or pulpit and oppose access to Plan B, birth control, and essential women’s healthcare,” said Laurin Jensen, reading a statement on behalf of her friend Savannah Maddocks. “It is far more difficult — and far less visible — to walk alongside a woman who is trying to raise a child alone, underpaid, under-resourced, and overwhelmed.”
According to the amendment, proposed by Carsrud, the $30,000 in 1% sales tax funding for Gillette Reproductive Health would be restored with certain restrictions.
“Your decision reflects not only the facts but the voices of more than 1,200 community members who have signed a petition and many others making their voice heard online. “
Julie Price Carroll, Gillette Reproductive Health
In addition to not being able to use the funds for the promotion of abortion, directly or indirectly, the amendment required the monies to be kept separate from GRH’s general fund, provide an itemized account of the funds used and keep any links to websites or materials promoting abortion off its own website.
Finally, the clinic would be unable to make medical referrals for abortion services.
“If we’re able to come to a reasonable compromise, we can at least have the assurance that steps are being taken to prevent abortion referrals,” Lundvall said. “If we walk away from this opportunity, the city forfeits its seat at the table, and with it, our ability to influence this matter in a meaningful, values driven way, and I’ll leave you with this, if, through all this effort, we can come together as a city and save even just one life, then every bit of work, debate and compromise will have been worth it.”
Following the reintroduction of the funding, the council quickly voted 6-1 to approve the third and final reading of the budget, with Clary casting the only vote against.
Following the vote, Gillette Reproductive Health Executive Director Julie Price Carroll returned to the podium during the meeting’s general public comment, expressing her thanks for the change in course by the council.
“On behalf of the board, the staff, the community and our patients, I want to thank you and the council for voting to continue funding for GRH,” she said. “Your decision reflects not only the facts but the voices of more than 1,200 community members who have signed a petition and many others making their voice heard online. We are grateful for your support and remain committed to providing compassionate compliance and essential health care to people in this community.”
Wonderful work. Thank you for continuing to support women and the things that matter.
Replace the word ‘influence’ with force, that would be more accurate. Men controlling Women.