Fresno City Council dais at Fresno City Hall, October 2020

After two hours of public comment, the Fresno City Council on Thursday voted on a 5-1 margin to pass through $1 million in state funding to Planned Parenthood Mar Monte.

The debate in the council chambers between pro-choice and pro-life activists extended to the dais, where Councilmember Garry Bredefeld was the lone “no” vote.

The money was secured in the state budget by Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula. To be disbursed to Planned Parenthood, it required a council vote, which proved to be a contentious political debate.

Councilmembers Miguel Arias, Esmeralda Soria, Tyler Maxwell and Luis Chavez voted in favor of passing through the money. Councilmember Mike Karbassi was absent for the vote.

Two other nonprofits received state funding with today’s vote. Downtown Fresno art museum Arte Americas received $7 million. Neighborhood Industries, which runs a thrift store and job training program, received $1 million.