Voters in Lubbock, Texas, over the weekend, passed an ordinance abolishing abortion within city limits.
The controversial proposition, which makes the more than 250,000 person city the largest “sanctuary city for the unborn” in the United States, not only deems it “unlawful for any person to procure or perform an abortion of any type and at any stage of pregnancy” in the city, but it also provides financial penalty for people who “knowingly aid or abet an abortion” in the city.
“We are grateful that the voters of Lubbock voted so overwhelmingly to outlaw abortion and affirm the sanctity of human life. We congratulate everyone who worked so hard to pass this ordinance and produce such a strong turnout for this historic election,” Mark Lee Dickson, director of Right to Life of East Texas and Founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative, told The Federalist. “Planned Parenthood and its supporters also worked hard to get their supporters to the polls, and we congratulate them on their efforts. Now that the voters have spoken, we expect Planned Parenthood to respect the outcome of this election and cease providing abortions at its Lubbock clinic.”
Despite opposition from Planned Parenthood and pro-abortion activists’ attempts to stifle pro-life support in the area by pouring outside money into the election, coordinating with law enforcement to oust conservative activists at the March for Life rally, feigning endorsements against the proposal from local news outlets, and stealing “vote for life” yard signs from churches and homes, the proposition passed in a landslide victory with more than 21,400 votes to stop killing unborn babies within city limits.
The ordinance found its beginnings in the west Texas city last year after Planned Parenthood, which hadn’t been in Lubbock since 2013, announced its return at the end of July, claiming to offer “affordable healthcare services” and “both surgical and medication abortion services … available at a later date.”
After the announcement, a petition by state Sen. Charles Perry circulated the city and state, calling for people to “send a clear message that the abortion industry should not set up shop in our backyard.”
“Unborn children should have the right to live and Planned Parenthood profits off ending their lives. This is unacceptable,” the petition stated.
More than 5,000 people signed the petition, but the City Council led by Mayor Dan Pope unanimously voted against passing the ordinance, which forced a referendum. Now the Lubbock City Council will be forced to canvas the votes and add the ordinance to the city code.
Pope, who previously refused to place the ordinance on the city’s agenda and said opening a Planned Parenthood in the city was equivalent to starting a new supermarket or church, released a statement celebrating the voter turnout.
“Over the course of several months, Lubbock citizens who support the ordinance and those opposed have expressed their thoughts in public forums and engaged in passionate debate on this sensitive issue. Today, voters made it clear that Lubbock will become the next sanctuary city for the unborn. I am encouraged by the significant voter turnout,” Pope said.
Big Spring, Texas Mayor Shannon Thomason also congratulated Lubbock on approving the ordinance and seizing the title for the largest of the 25 sanctuary cities for the unborn.
“On behalf of the City of Big Spring, I extend our congratulations to the citizens of Lubbock on their becoming the largest city in the United States to become a Sanctuary City for the Unborn!” he wrote.
