The Atlanta City Council Chamber. Image via Twitter.

The Atlanta City Council voted unanimously to sign a resolution in opposition to the state’s controversial “heartbeat bill,” which would criminalize abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.

The bill, which experts say effectively outlaws abortions in the state, was signed by Brian Kemp on May 7, CNN reports. It’s set to go into effect on January 1, but it’s expected to be challenged legally.

While the resolution is only a symbolic rebuke, Councilmember Amir Farokhi, who introduced the legislation, says that the 13-0 vote is an important statement.

“As the state’s largest city, it’s important that we join the chorus of Georgians speaking out for a woman’s right to choose,” Farokhi said in a statement. “The values represented in that bill are not those held by the majority of Atlantans.”

The vote comes in the wake of statements made recently by the district attorneys serving metro counties, including Fulton and DeKalb, that they would not prosecute women seeking abortions in their jurisdictions.

“Every woman has the right to choose,” Farokhi said in a statement. “It’s not a decision that the government or, frankly, men, have any business interfering with. No woman should live in fear of prison time or the death penalty for making a decision regarding her health. Likewise, doctors should not fear imprisonment for doing their job.”