Lubbock has made history.
Today the Lubbock Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance takes effect.
Although the abortion industry is fighting the ordinance in court. Planned Parenthood, the sole abortion organization in Lubbock, announced they will wait on the outcome before committing more abortions. This effectively confirms that Planned Parenthood has stopped committing abortions in Lubbock as of today.
This May the citizens of Lubbock superseded the inaction of their city council by voting to pass the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance.
The ordinance passed in a landslide, 62% voting in favor and 38% against.
Lubbock is by far the largest city in America to pass this ordinance which outlaws ALL elective abortions within the city limits, by imposing civil liabilities on abortion providers.
Lubbock is also the first city with a major university, Texas Tech University, and the first with an active abortion facility to pass the ordinance.
The passage of the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance in Lubbock is a clear and encouraging story of the will of the people finally being heard above the political games and cowardice of elected officials.
Pro-Life Lubbockites were justifiably outraged when Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion organization in the world, reopened a facility in their community. Citizens immediately sprang into action by petitioning their city council to pass the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance.
Lubbock Pro-Life leaders began a petition in favor of the ordinance which obtained over 5,000 signatures. Despite clear support for the ordinance, the city council refused to act.
The citizens of Lubbock forced a city council vote on the ordinance but the council rejected the life-saving measure.
Some towns may have given up after these defeats but Lubbock has proven more than just any ordinary town.
A network of local leaders, including Texas Tech students from the Raiders Defending Life club, led a citizen movement to bring the ordinance to a referendum vote in the local spring election.
The Raiders Defending Life, whose president, Austin Schully, is a Texas Right to Life Fellow, commented; “As firm believers in the value of all Life, Raiders Defending Life stands in solidarity with both women and their unborn babies. This ordinance reflects that value by protecting both the unborn child from abortion, and the mother from legal consequences.”
Lubbock’s passage of the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance will save countless lives in West Texas.
The Lubbock ordinance also holds a wider significance for the state of Texas and the entire nation.
Lubbock has a population of approximately 278,831, making the city by far the largest yet to pass the ordinance.
Lubbock’s vote paves the way for larger cities to seriously consider and pass the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance.
College students and local leaders in Bryan and Laredo, two Texas cities in many ways similar to Lubbock, are also advocating for their cities to pass the ordinance as Lubbock has done.
Lubbock is the 23rd of 25 Texas cities to enforce a Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance. The Sanctuary City for the Unborn movement continues to gain momentum and enthusiasm.
As the abortion industry’s lawsuit against Lubbock progresses in the court, we at Texas Right to Life are optimistic about the outcome and confident that the Lubbock ordinance will save countless more lives.
Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton has sent a letter showing his support of the ordinance and clarifying why he believes Planned Parenthood has no legal standing to sue Lubbock
Lubbock has proven that larger cities can indeed pass the ordinance and that meaningful action to defend the preborn can be taken even at the local level.
We applaud the citizens of Lubbock for their action in defense of Life. As the Sanctuary City for the Unborn movement continues to grow, we thank the leaders, students especially, for their action. Thanks to the efforts of these Pro-Lifers, Texas continues to grow more Pro-Life every day.
