On Election Day, San Angelo (population 103,000), Athens (population 12,800), Abilene (population 124,700), and Plainview (population 19,800) joined the 42 other Texas cities that have made themselves “Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn!”
Citizens from each of these Texas cities first presented the measure to their city councils, asking their local elected officials to pass the ordinance on behalf of their constituents’ convictions to protect their town from the abortion industry. All four city councils rejected their constituents’ petitions. But the local advocates for Life were not dissuaded.
Citizen leaders of each community went through the tedious process of having the ordinance placed on the city-wide ballot, and on Election Day each of these communities accomplished what their city council refused — they passed the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance. In doing so, they immediately added another layer of protection preventing the abortion industry from preying on their communities.
Since 2019, over 40 Texas cities have passed enforceable local ordinances. Now, Texas is up to 46 cities with the policy in effect!
Since the United States Supreme Court’s recent reversal of Roe v. Wade, Texas’ pre-Roe statutes regained effect, protecting all preborn babies from the moment of fertilization. In addition to state law, these local policies further clarify that elective abortion is illegal in the city’s jurisdiction, and also prevent abortion businesses from moving into the community, adding another layer of enforcement for holding the abortion industry accountable, protecting these cities from the abortion industry, and declaring that these cities deeply value innocent human Life.
Similar to the Texas Heartbeat Act, the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinances use civil enforcement to allow any private citizen to bring a lawsuit against someone who commits, aids, or abets an elective abortion within city limits.
As with all Texas Pro-Life laws, the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinances do not allow for the pregnant mother who seeks or obtains an elective abortion to be sued. Instead, it directly penalizes the abortion industry — those who commit and profit off the intentional killing of preborn children. Like all other Texas Pro-Life laws, the only exception is for the life of the mother.
The Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinances have demonstrated themselves to be effective at saving lives and strong enough to withstand legal scrutiny! Some weak Republicans have suggested that Texas has done too much to protect preborn children. But Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry are fighting harder than ever to resume the killing of babies in Texas.
We celebrate these victories and applaud the men and women in these Texas towns who worked diligently to make their communities Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn. But the fight for Life is not over. Texas Right to Life is already preparing for the 2023 legislative session. Stay up-to-date on important Pro-Life issues happening in the Texas Capitol and across the state by texting TXLEGE to 40237.