A number of liberal cities have identified themselves as sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. Now a Texas city had declared itself a sanctuary city for the unborn.
In a referendum Saturday, a supermajority of voters in Lubbock voted to approve an ordinance making it “unlawful for any person to procure or perform an abortion of any type and at any stage of pregnancy in the City of Lubbock, Texas.” More than 62 percent of voters in the city of more than 250,000 residents voted to approve the referendum, while less than 38 percent voted against it.
Mark Lee Dickson, founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn movement that lobbies nationwide to pass ordinances banning abortion at the local level, cheered Saturday’s landslide victory for the pro-life movement.
“I think it says a lot, because Lubbock is the 11th most populated city in the state of Texas and the 83rd most populated city in the United States of America,” he said.
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The push to make Lubbock a sanctuary city for the unborn was instigated by Planned Parenthood’s plans to build an abortion facility in the West Texas city.
“The Church of Jesus Christ banded together, stepped up to their role, their God-given role, and said we’re not going to let babies be killed in our city,” Jim Baxa of West Texas for Life told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. “All these churches banded together. There were 200 churches in the City of Lubbock, working together to stand up for life. It’s excellent.”
“Planned Parenthood did come into Lubbock, they opened up, they started performing abortions on April 15, just a few weeks ago,” Dickson said. “And Planned Parenthood also poured a whole lot of money into this election.
The Nebraska towns of Hayes Center and Blue Hill also have become sanctuary cities for the unborn.
“All cities at this point, with the exception of Lubbock, have outlawed abortion through their mayor and city council,” Dickson said. “I think this is the appropriate way it needs to be done, through the mayor and the council the people have elected.
The referendum vote comes after the city council voted against the ordinance in November because of concerns that it could result in a lawsuit challenging the measure’s constitutionality. The ordinance bans most abortions in the town, except in cases when a woman’s life is at risk. The measure also allows family members of women who receive abortions to sue anyone who assisted, according to Reuters. It is unclear when the measure will take effect in Lubbock.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice