67 U.S. CITIES AND 6 COUNTIES HAVE PASSED ORDINANCES OUTLAWING ABORTION*
If an abortion facility moves into a community, it is not Austin's problem or Washington, D.C.'s problem. It is the problem of the city or county the abortion facility has moved into.
MARK LEE DICKSON
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THE SCFTU INITIATIVE IN THE NEWS
2023
2023
2023
The Texan (10-26-2023)
Lubbock County Adopts Ban on Abortions and Abortion Trafficking, Amarillo Discusses Doing Same Lubbock County became the fourth Texas county to adopt an abortion and abortion trafficking ban, while Amarillo is considering a similar measure.
By Kim Roberts
Ms. Magazine (10-25-2023)
‘Comstocked’: How Extremists Are Exploiting a Victorian-Era Law To Deny Abortion Access
The 1873 Comstock law prohibits the conveyance of anything used for “the procuring or producing of abortion.” One man believes it’s the gateway to a national abortion ban that even the bluest of states will not be able to evade.
By Shoshanna Ehrlich
New York Times (10-24-2023)
In Texas, Local Laws to Prevent Travel for Abortions Gain Momentum
Lubbock County, home to more than 300,000 near the New Mexico border, has become the fourth and largest Texas county to bar travel assistance for abortions.
By J. David Goodman
Reuters (10-24-2023)
Fight over Texas anti-abortion transport bans reaches biggest battlegrounds yet
By Julia Harte
Live Action News (10-24-2023)
Fourth Texas county outlaws abortion and use of roads for ‘abortion trafficking’
By Mark Lee Dickson
Texas Scorecard (10-19-2023)
County Officials PAC Leans Blue in General Elections in a Red Texas
An in-depth review reveals that the vast majority of candidates supported by COPAC in the last three General Elections were Democrats.
By Mark Lee Dickson
The Messenger (10-17-2023)
Cities and Counties Are the Latest Battlegrounds for Abortion Bans
Sixty-seven cities and 5 counties have enacted ‘Sanctuary of the Unborn’ initiatives
By Khaya Himmelman
Muddy River News (10-13-2023)
By David Adam
Texas Scorecard (10-12-2023)
It’s Time to See Amarillo Become a Sanctuary City for the Unborn
So far, a total of 67 cities and 5 counties across 7 states have passed ordinances prohibiting abortion within their city and county limit.
By Mark Lee Dickson
Live Action News (10-11-2023)
By Mark Lee Dickson
Texas Scorecard (10-10-2023)
Prominent Democrat Convinces Mason County to Reject Abortion Trafficking Ordinance
Despite the setback, many within the community are optimistic that the abortion trafficking ordinance will eventually be revisited.
By Mark Lee Dickson
Muddy River News (10-10-2023)
Negligence of abortion industry tolerated for too long
By Dr. Alveda King
Muddy River News (10-10-2023)
Pregnancy help center in Springfield supports passage of sanctuary city ordinance in Quincy
By Timothy E. Moore and Suzanne Moss
Live Action News (10-09-2023)
Discovery requests filed against Texas groups funding abortions inside and outside the state
By Mark Lee Dickson
Muddy River News (10-6-2023)
How could sanctuary city ordinance, which requires compliance with federal statutes, be illegal?
By Mark Lee Dickson
Texas Scorecard (09-29-2023)
West Texas County Restricts Abortion Trafficking On Its Highways
By Emily Medeiros
Live Action News (09-29-2023)
Third Texas county outlaws abortion and use of roads for ‘abortion trafficking’
By Mark Lee Dickson
The Texan (09-29-2023)
County on Texas-New Mexico Border Outlaws Abortion and Abortion Trafficking
By Kim Roberts
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
(09-28-2023)
Cochran County, on Texas-New Mexico border, adopts ban on abortion, travel for abortion
By Alex Driggers
2023
2023
The Texas Tribune (09-27-2023)
A Texas county that borders New Mexico is the latest to consider an abortion travel ban
By Jayme Lozano Carver
The Atlantic (09-22-2023)
The Pro-life Movement Is Fuming at Donald Trump
By Elaine Godfrey
World Magazine (09-21-2023)
Abortion Trafficking Ban Hits Roadblocks
By Addie Offereins, Leah Savas
The Texan (09-14-2023)
San Antonio established a health care fund that may eventually be used to fund travel for out-of-state abortions. A small Texas town declined to become a Sanctuary City for the Unborn.
By Kim Roberts
Texas Scorecard (09-13-2023)
City of Chandler Rejects Ordinance Outlawing Abortion and Abortion Trafficking
By Mark Lee Dickson
Human Defense Initiative
(09-12-2023)
New Texas Ordinances Seek to Ban Abortion Trafficking
By Olivia Hancock
KETK (09-12-2023)
City of Chandler votes against becoming sanctuary for the unborn
By Ashlyn Anderson
KLTV (09-11-2023)
City of Chandler votes down ordinance outlawing ‘abortion trafficking’
By KLTV Staff
The Washington Post (09-01-2023)
Highways are the next antiabortion target. One Texas town is resisting.
A new ordinance, passed in several jurisdictions and under consideration elsewhere, aims to stop people from using local roads to drive someone out of state for an abortion
By Caroline Kitchener
Live Action News (08-30-2023)
Second Texas county outlaws abortion and use of roads for 'abortion trafficking'
By Mark Lee Dickson
Texas Scorecard (08-29-2023)
Goliad County Becomes Second County in Texas to Outlaw Abortion Trafficking
By Mark Lee Dickson
News 21 (08-02-2023)
‘Abortion-free America’: Initiative seeks more ‘sanctuary cities for the unborn’ across U.S.
Texas pastor Mark Lee Dickson travels the country working to create more “sanctuary cities for the unborn” – with a goal of banishing abortion from America.
By Jenna Ebbers
News 21 (08-02-2023)
‘This is a long game’: A year after Roe, abortion access fight moves to blue states like New Mexico
As more states pass abortion bans, providers and patients have flocked to New Mexico, a sanctuary for abortion rights. The anti-abortion movement has followed.
By Jenna Ebbers and Cassidey Kavathas
Mother Jones (07-18-2023)
In West Wendover, Nevada, Anything Goes – Except Planned Parenthood
This purple border town is a microcosm of abortion politics in the West.
By Stephanie Mencimer
The Texan (07-14-2023)
Mitchell County Votes to Become Texas’ First ‘Sanctuary County for the Unborn’
“I’m so excited that we get to lead the way for the state of Texas,” said Commissioner Jeremy Strain after the unanimous vote.
By Cameron Abrams
The Nation (06-23-2023)
Life on the Abortion Borderland
Patients seeking abortions are flooding across state lines–while anti-abortion activists try to shut clinics down.
PRINT EDITION: 07-17-2023
By Amy Littlefield
NBC News (05-21-2023)
Small, rural communities are becoming abortion access battlegrounds After local leaders in rural Nevada reached an impasse over a proposed Planned Parenthood clinic, an anti-abortion activist pitching local abortion bans arrived at their remote city hall.
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
Associated Press (05-03-2023)
Illinois city backs abortion pills ban, defying legal risks
By Kathleen Foody
NPR (04-29-2023)
In New Mexico, anti-abortion activists take abortion restrictions local
By Sarah McCammon
2023
CNN (04-28-2023)
Comstock Act: The 150-year-old chasity law that may be the next big fight over abortion
By Tierney Sneed
Arizona Mirror (04-27-2023)
Anti-Abortion legal strategy revives Comstock moral purity laws of late 1800s
By Elisha Brown
The Nation (04-26-2023)
The Poison Pill in the Mifepristone Lawsuit That Could Trigger a National Abortion Ban
In their push for a nationwide abortion ban, anti-abortion groups and Republican officials alike seem to be embracing the idea of giving the Comstock Act new life.
By Amy Littlefield
The Huff Post (04-17-2023)
This 150-Year-Old Anti-Vice Law Is Now At The Center Of The Push To Ban Abortion The Comstock Act and the imminent threat of a national abortion ban looms over the courts and the 2024 presidential election.
By Paul Blumenthal
Slate (04-15-2023)
A 150-Year-Old Law Could Ban Abortion Nationwide
The legal zombie may be unconstitutional, but that didn’t stop conservative judges from citing it in their recent mifepristone decisions.
By Dahlia Lithwick
Reckon News (03-23-2023)
Run for the Border: The blueprint for the anti-abortion movement’s next fight The masterminds behind Texas’ anti-abortion ‘sanctuary city’ plan set their sights on New Mexico–and beyond
By Becca Andrews
The Guardian (03-09-2023)
How a pastor is trying to revive a 150-year-old US law to ban abortion
By Cecilia Nowell
Associated Press (03-03-2023)
Abortion clinics crossing state borders not always welcome
Residents in southwestern Virginia have battled for months over whether abortion clinics limited by strict laws in other states should be allowed to hop over the border and operate there.
By Kimberlee Kruesi, Sarah Rankin and Hilary Powell
The Daily Wire (03-01-2023)
By Ashe Schow
Breitbart (02-28-2023)
Texas Supreme Court Upholds Pro-Life Freedom of Speech
By Katherine Hamilton
Texas Scorecard (02-28-2023)
Texas Supreme Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against Pro-Life Activist
By Darrell Frost
Stateline (02-27-2023)
Activists Aim for Supreme Court With Local Abortion Bans in Blue States
By Caitlin Dewey
The Texan (02-24-2023)
Texas Supreme Court Sides With Pro-Life Activist in Speech Defamation Case The dismissal of this case by the court will ensure that the abortion debate is left to the “battlefield of speech.”
By Cameron Abrams
Bloomberg Law News (02-24-2023)
Anti-Abortion Activist’s Posts Protected, Texas Justices Say
By Janet Miranda
Vice News (02-13-2023)
“It Could End Abortion in America”: Two Tiny Towns At the Center of the Abortion Wars
New Mexico has emerged as one of the key battlefronts in the U.S. war over abortion.
By Carer Sherman
The Washington Times (02-12-2023)
Activists keeping watch on judge as federal court takes up abortion pill case
By Valerie Richardson
NPR (02-08-2023)
A Texas group that wants to ban abortion nationwide is targeting New Mexico
By Alice Fordham
Washington Post (02-06-2023)
In blue New Mexico, antiabortion activists use small towns to push national ban
By Karin Brullard
KUNM (02-06-2023)
Top officials challenge local abortion ordinances – but could the strategy backfire?
By Alice Fordham
The Texan (01-17-2023)
Fifty Texas Cities Now ‘Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn’
Little River-Academy joined 49 other cities of all sizes in declaring itself a “Sanctuary City for the Unborn.”
By Kim Roberts
2022
2022
2022
The Wall Street Journal (12-23-2022)
In States Where Abortion Is Legal, Some Cities Look to Restrict Access
Local measures highlight complexity of abortion access in states after Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
By Jennifer Calfas
The Washington Times (12-14-2022)
Pro-life groups seeking Nebraska abortion ban refuse to yield to Jane’s Revenge gunfire threats
By Valerie Richardson
Jezebel (12-12-2022)
Activists Are Trying to Ban Abortion Pills in Blue States, Forcing Patients to Face Protesters
By Susan Rinkunas
The Texan (11-23-2022)
Odessa Votes to Become Latest ‘Sanctuary for the Unborn’ After New Council Members Take Office
Two new members on the Odessa City Council voted to pass a Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance almost immediately after taking the oaths of office.
By Matt Stringer
Reuters (11-08-2022)
New Mexico city passes ordinance to block abortion clinics from operating
By Brad Brooks
Jezebel (11-08-2022)
A Texas Abortion Clinic Planned to Move to New Mexico. That Town Just Banned Abortion, Too.
By Kylie Cheung
The Texan (10-28-2022)
Texas Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Defamation Suit Against Pro-Life Activist
Before the Texas Supreme Court, the Lilith Fund and Mark Lee Dickson clashed over whether statements by a pro-life activist could be considered defamation.
By Kim Roberts
Reuters (10-28-2022)
Insight: New frontline of U.S. abortion battles emerges in New Mexico
By Brad Brooks
The Huff Post (10-27-2022)
The Architect of Texas’ Radical Abortion Law Has His Sights Set On A New State A 30-something self-described virgin has been incredibly effective at convincing dozens of small towns and communities to pass abortion bans.
By Alanna Vagianos
The Texas Tribune (10-26-2022)
Texas Supreme Court weighs whether to dismiss abortion funds’ defamation case against anti-abortion activist Several abortion funds have sued anti-abortion activist Mark Lee Dickson, who called them “criminal organizations,” for defamation
By Alex Nguyen
The Texas Tribune (08-10-2022)
Texas anti-abortion protesters set sights on New Mexico, where the procedure is still protected As Texans seek abortions in the only neighboring state to allow them, opponents of the procedure follow them across the border, hoping to create more “sanctuary cities for the unborn.”
By William Melhado
The Texan (08-03-2022)
Athens Voters to Decide ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’ Proposition
Athens was the setting for thousands of illegal abortions before the U.S. Supreme Court established abortion rights in Roe v. Wade.
By Hayden Sparks
2022
2022
The Texan (08-01-2022)
Politicians, Activists to Pursue More Lawsuit-Enforced Abortion Restrictions in Coming Year
Originally an end run around Roe, civil liability for abortions seems likely to expand in Texas law and local ordinances.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (06-21-2022)
Texas Supreme Court Takes Up Abortion Funds’ Defamation Suits Against Pro-Life Activist
Mark Lee Dickson’s social media posts and the ordinances he championed in several Texas cities have both called abortion funds “criminal.”
By Isaiah Mitchell
CNN (06-20-2022)
Opinion: How abortion became a war over geography
By Mary Ziegler
The Texan (06-07-2022)
Athens Citizens Begin Petition Process to Put Ordinance Outlawing Abortion on City Council Agenda
If passed, the ordinance would ban the abortion of any “unborn resident” of Athens, even if the abortion took place outside city limits.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (05-23-2022)
Town of Normangee Outlaws Abortion, Becoming 44th ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’ In Texas
Nearly all incorporated cities in Leon County have passed similar ordinances, including Centerville, Leona, Jewett, and Marquez.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texas Tribune (05-12-2022)
How Texas’ powerful but fractured abortion opposition helped bring down Roe v. Wade
Texas’ anti-abortion movement is on the cusp of achieving a goal 50 years in the making. Now, it’ll be up to the old guard and new torchbearers to decide what’s next.
By Karen Brooks Harper and Elanor Klibanoff
The Texan (04-28-2022)
In a 4 to 3 vote, Abilene leadership punted the ordinance to November. The unusual vote may run afoul of the city charter.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (04-13-2022)
From Waskom to Abilene: Behind the Movement of Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn
The “Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn” initiative has evolved substantially to present Abilene with one of the strictest ordinances yet.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (03-29-2022)
Lindale, Texas Bans Abortion Locally After Rejecting Proposal in 2020
The ordinance that passed is broader and more substantial than the proposal the council rejected two years ago.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (03-23-2022)
Shallowater Passes Local Abortion Ban as Other Texas Cities Move Through Petition Process
State politicians Rep. Dustin Burrows and Sen. Charles Perry both encouraged passage of the ban. Burrows spoke at the meeting.
By Isaiah Mitchell
2022
The Huff Post (03-14-2022)
Idaho Becomes First State To Pass Copycat Texas Abortion Ban
Republican Governor Brad Little is expected to sign the measure into law, and it will likely go into effect next month.
By Alanna Vagianos
The Texan (03-11-2022)
Texas Supreme Court Effectively Ends Heartbeat Act Challenge
The court ruled that state licensing agencies cannot indirectly enforce the Texas Heartbeat Act’s abortion prohibition.
By Brad Johnson
The Texan (03-04-2022)
San Angelo City Council Unanimously Rejects Proposal to Ban Abortion Locally
The proposed ordinance is no longer in the council’s hands at this point. The citizens of San Angelo will pass or reject it at the ballot box.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (02-22-2022)
Abilene Citizens Turn In Over 10,000 Signatures for Petition to Outlaw Abortion
If enough of the signatures are certified, the process will require the Abilene City Council to consider the local abortion ban.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (02-14-2022)
San Angelo Citizens Claim City Leadership Planning ‘Sham’ Hearing to Consider Local Abortion Ban
Citizens supporting a local abortion ban say San Angelo leaders decided the proposal’s fate before the outward political process began.
By Isaiah Mitchell
Reveal News (02-12-2022)
The most restrictive anti-abortion law in the country is now in effect in Texas. How the Lone Star State trumped Roe v. Wade.
By Amy Littlefield
The Texan (02-04-2022)
San Angelo Residents to Consider Local Abortion Ban in November
Over the protests of residents that led the petition effort, the San Angelo City Council effectively set the vote for November, not May.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (01-27-2022)
Attorneys and Activists: Inside the Push to Ban Abortion in Abilene
Insiders say Abilene’s city attorney has cautioned the mayor about the proposed ban, a common trend among even the reddest Texas towns.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texas Tribune (01-25-2022)
Planned Parenthood drops challenge to Lubbock’s abortion ban
The decision, hailed by abortion opponents as a victory, is another indication of how legal protections for abortion have been gutted in Texas
By Eleanor Klibanoff
The Texan (01-21-2022)
Planned Parenthood Drops Appeal in Lawsuit Over Lubbock’s Local Abortion Ban
The local ban passed by a citywide vote after the council, wary of litigation, rejected it. Now, it’s weathered a Planned Parenthood lawsuit.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (01-11-2022)
San Angelo, Abilene, Lindale May Hold Citywide Elections on Local Abortion Ban
The activist behind the initiative says it’s common for city leaders in Republican areas to avoid the proposal.
By Isaiah Mitchell
2021
2021
2021
The Texan (12-21-2021)
Slaton Becomes 39th Texas Town to Outlaw Abortion
While challenges to the Texas Heartbeat Act continue in state and federal court, local towns are outlawing abortion one at a time.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texas Tribune (12-13-2021)
State Senator Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, who wrote the law, was dismissive of Newsom’s effort to restrict gun rights by using Texas’ legal strategy to ban many abortions. He said he didn’t think his enforcement mechanism would be “effective against firmly established constitutional rights.”
By Patrick Svitek, Eleanor Klibanoff and Reese Oxner
The Texas Tribune (12-12-2021)
Key Texas abortion opponent sees Supreme Court decision as validation to keep fighting Mark Lee Dickson helped Texas towns ban abortion. On Friday, the Supreme Court declined to block a state law modeled on his ordinance. “We can go anywhere now,” he said.
By Eleanor Klibanoff
The Texan (12-10-2021)
SCOTUS Lets Heartbeat Act Challenge Continue Against State Agencies, Dismisses Judicial Defendants
The court also dismissed the Biden administration’s lawsuit against Texas over SB 8 by a nearly unanimous decision.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The New York Times (12-01-2021)
Where the Pro-Choice Movement Went Wrong How abortion-rights groups failed to stop the erosion of Roe v. Wade.
PRINT EDITION: Losing the Fight Over Abortion, 12-05-2021, Page SR4
By Amy Littlefield
The Guardian (11-23-2021)
How anti-abortion advocates are pushing local bans, city by small city
Across Ohio, tactics pioneered in Texas are being deployed in disruptive city council meetings.
By Audra Jane Heidrichs
The Texan (11-12-2021)
Anson Becomes 38th Texas Town to Outlaw Abortion
As the initiative grows, the “Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn” and the Texas Heartbeat Act continue to share mutual influence.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Guardian (10-11-2021)
The legal mind behind America’s most extreme abortion law
Former Texas solicitor general Jonathan F. Mitchell’s ‘dangerous’ legal strategy lets legislators pass laws that thwart the judiciary.
By Mary Tuma
The Texan (10-15-2021)
Fifth Circuit Halts Heartbeat Act Challenge, Potentially Paving Path to Supreme Court
Although the Fifth Circuit already restored force to the law with a previous order, yesterday’s ruling is an important milestone.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (10-11-2021)
Texas Heartbeat Act Regains Effect After Fifth Circuit Halts Lower Court Injunction
Senate Bill 8 was paused for 2 days. Some of the law’s proponents say those who violated it during that time could still face lawsuits.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (10-05-2021)
Three More Texas Towns Ban Abortion in City Limits
The Panhandle town of Nazareth adopted the ordinance this morning, becoming the 36th town in Texas to outlaw abortion.
By Isaiah Mitchell
Jezebel (09-12-2021)
What We Know About the Conservative Lawyer Behind S.B. 8
By Marie Solis
The Washington Post (09-16-2021)
Mark Lee Dickson paved the way for the Texas abortion ban, one small town at a time Over the last two years, Dickson has lobbied towns and cities to ban abortion within their limits. Nearly 40 have.
By Emily Wax-Thibodeaux
The New York Times (09-12-2021)
Behind the Texas Abortion Law, a Persevering Conservative Lawyer Jonathan Mitchell has never had a high profile in the anti-abortion movement, but he developed and promoted the legal approach that has flummoxed the courts and enraged abortion rights supporters.
PRINT EDITION: Texas Lawyer Quietly Forged Abortion Law, 09-12-2021, Page A1
By Michael S. Schmidt
2021
2021
CNN (09-07-2021)
The scramble to defend against Texas’ 6-week abortion ban
By Ariane de Vogue
Associated Press (09-04-2021)
Origin Story of the Texas Law That Could Upend Roe v. Wade
The road to a Texas law that bans most abortions in the state began in a town called Waskom, population 1,600.
By Jessica Gresko and Paul J. Weber
CNN (09-01-2021)
Texas 6-week abortion ban takes effect after Supreme Court Inaction
By Ariane de Vogue
Fox News (09-01-2021)
Biden rips Texas abortion law as ‘extreme,’ violation of Roe v. Wade
Supreme Court has yet to rule on ban after asking for responses to abortion providers’ request for an injunction
By Ronn Blitzer
CNN (08-30-2021)
Abortion providers ask Supreme Court to block Texas’ six-week ban
By Ariane de Vogue
The Texan (08-27-2021)
Judge Refuses to Dismiss Heartbeat Act Lawsuit, Defendants Appeal to Fifth Circuit
Defendants argued that abortion providers couldn’t sue the government for injuries incurred by private lawsuits. Judge Pitman disagreed.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (08-16-2021)
Three More Texas Towns Vote to Outlaw Abortion in City Limits
Three Texas towns have joined the initiative since August began, all with unanimous votes: Eastland, Leona, and Crawford.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Guardian (07-14-2021)
Planned Parenthood files lawsuit against Texas’s extreme abortion ban
Groups in the lawsuit, including doctors, health clinic staff and clergy members, say SB8 violates Texans’ constitutional rights
By Mary Tuma
Associated Press (07-13-2021)
Lawsuit challenges Texas law banning abortion after 6 weeks
A coalition of abortion providers and advocates are challenging in court a Texas law empowering private citizens to sue anyone helping a woman get an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.
By Iris Samuels
The Texan (07-13-2021)
Abortion Funds and Providers Sue Texas Court System Over Heartbeat Act
Whole Woman’s Health and fellow plaintiffs accused the Texas legislature of “well-documented hostility to the rights of pregnant people.”
By Isaiah Mitchell
The New York Times (07-09-2021)
Citizens, Not the State, Will Enforce New Abortion Law in Texas
The measure bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. And it effectively deputizes ordinary citizens to sue people involved in the process.
PRINT EDITION: Texas Gives Citizens Authority To Enforce Its Law on Abortion, 07-10-2021, Page A1
By Sabrina Tavernise
The Texan (06-24-2021)
Sterling City Becomes 29th ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’ in Texas, Adopting Broadest Ordinance Yet
The ordinances in participating Texas “sanctuaries” have evolved and possibly culminated in the small town of Sterling City.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (06-09-2021)
Levelland, Sundown Vote to Outlaw Abortion, Become ‘Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn’
The two towns are neighbors in the Panhandle, where “Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn” have quickly multiplied.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texas Tribune (06-02-2021)
Lawsuit to block Lubbock’s abortion ban is dismissed in court as the ordinance takes effect Planned Parenthood sued to block the “sanctuary city for the unborn” ordinance, passed by voters in May, but a federal judge said he didn’t have jurisdiction to hear the case. The ordinance went into effect Tuesday.
By Shannon Najmabadi
2021
The Texan (05-18-2021)
Planned Parenthood Sues City of Lubbock for Abortion Ban
Planned Parenthood claims the Lubbock ordinance runs afoul of both the U.S. and Texas Constitutions, echoing concerns of city leaders.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texas Tribune (05-17-2021)
Lawsuit seeks to block Lubbock’s ordinance aimed at outlawing abortions The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas are suing over the West Texas city’s “sanctuary city for the unborn” ordinance.
By Shannon Najmabadi
The Texan (05-12-2021)
Abernathy, Poynor Become 25th and 26th ‘Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn’ in Texas
Ten days after Lubbock took the same action, its northward neighbor Abernathy passed a local law banning abortions in town limits.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (05-05-2021)
Lubbock Stakeholders, Lawyers Weigh in on Vague Future of Abortion Ban
Attorneys, local politicians, Planned Parenthood, and ordinance herald Mark Lee Dickson chime in on the landmark vote.
By Isaiah Mitchell
Jezebel (05-03-2021)
Lubbock Voters Pass Extreme, Unconstitutional Ban Declaring Abortion 'Murder'
By Esther Wang
The Texan (05-01-2021)
Lubbock Residents Vote to Outlaw Abortion and Become 24th ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’ in Texas
The measure passed overwhelmingly. It allows the living kin of aborted children to sue their abortionists and those who aided the procedure.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texas Tribune (05-01-2021)
Lubbock votes to become the state’s largest “sanctuary city for the unborn” The outcome could prompt a lawsuit over what opponents say is an unconstitutional ban on abortion. The vote comes less than a year after Planned Parenthood opened a clinic in the West Texas City
By Shannon Najmabadi
The Texas Tribune (04-28-2021)
Lubbock voters will decide Saturday if the West Texas city will become the largest “sanctuary city for the unborn” While proponents of the proposed ordinance view abortion as an “inconceivably wicked action,” detractors say it would be immediately challenged in court and that battles over abortion access are best fought at the state and federal levels.
By Shannon Najmabadi
The Texan (03-12-2021)
Murchison Becomes 22nd ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’
“Every single child is worth life,” Councilwoman Alisa Griffis said at the Tuesday meeting, where Murchison banned abortions in town limits.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (03-08-2021)
Gorman Becomes 21st “Sanctuary City for the Unborn” in Texas
The small town’s all-female city commission voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance, which empowers the living kin of aborted children to sue their abortionists.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (02-25-2021)
Carbon, Texas Becomes 20th ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’
The town opted to outlaw abortion within its city limits by a unanimous vote.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (02-11-2021)
Goldsmith Becomes 19th ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’ in Texas
To discourage abortion providers from setting up shop in their town, the Goldsmith City Council approved a “Sanctuary City for the Unborn” ordinance.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (01-26-2021)
Grapeland Becomes 18th ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’ in Texas
The ordinance holds the abortion provider — not the mother — liable to the living relatives of the aborted child.
By Isaiah Mitchell
Mother Jones (01-14-2021)
It’s no coincidence several “pro-life” activists were in DC last week.
By Becca Andrews
2020
2020
2020
The Texan (12-02-2020)
Ackerly Becomes 17th Texas Town to Outlaw Abortion
The Ackerly City Council voted unanimously last night to ban abortion in city limits. Lubbock and Odessa may do the same.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (11-18-2020)
Lubbock Rejects Ordinance to Outlaw Abortion
Most council members said they clung to pro-life beliefs themselves but felt the ordinance would violate the law and open the door to lawsuits.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (10-27-2020)
Lubbock City Council to Vote on Outlawing Abortion
Though the City of Lubbock avoided the proposal, a petition has forced the “Sanctuary City for the Unborn” ordinance onto the agenda.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (10-27-2020)
‘Sanctuary for the Unborn’ Resolution Survives Kerr County Commissioners Court
County Judge Rob Kelly declared the “Sanctuary County for the Unborn” resolution dead last week. A revote revived it.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (10-15-2020)
Lubbock Rejects Proposal to Outlaw Abortion Despite Petition, Lawmaker Support
The city says the ordinance would violate the Texas Constitution. A petition may force the city council to vote publicly.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (10-13-2020)
Texas Town of Morton Outlaws Abortion, Declares Itself “Sanctuary City for the Unborn”
Morton is the 16th city to pass an ordinance deeming itself a “Sanctuary City for the Unborn.” Supporters hope Lubbock is next.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (09-30-2020)
15th City in Texas Outlaws Abortion
Local leaders hope their northward neighbor Lubbock takes heed of their action and follows suit to become a Sanctuary City for the Unborn.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (09-17-2020)
Cedar Park City Council at Odds Over Outlawing Abortion
At least two councilmen support the ordinance that would make Cedar Park Texas’ fifteenth “Sanctuary City for the Unborn.”
By Isaiah Mitchell
2020
2020
The Texan (09-04-2020)
Lubbock Officials Eye Outlawing Abortion After Planned Parenthood Heralds New Facility
State legislators and activists have urged Lubbock to become a “Sanctuary City for the Unborn” before a Planned Parenthood facility is built.
By Isaiah Mitchell
The Texan (07-21-2020)
City of East Mountain Effectively Outlaws Abortion, Passes “Sanctuary City for the Unborn” Ordinance
The city council of East Mountain agreed to an ordinance effectively prohibiting abortion within city limits in a 3-0 vote with 2 abstentions.
By Daniel Friend
The Texan (07-20-2020)
Eight Lawsuits Filed to Defend Use of Term “Criminal” to Describe Abortion Advocacy Groups
Pro-life Texans have requested courts to declare use of the term “criminal” in describing abortion advocacy groups as “truthful” and “non-defamatory.”
By Daniel Friend
The Texan (07-12-2020)
Abortion Advocacy Group Sues Right to Life of East Texas for Defamation
Several pro-choice organizations are filing lawsuits alleging that being called a “criminal organization” is defamatory. The pro-life defendants maintain that the claim is legally accurate.
By Daniel Friend
The Texan (05-26-2020)
ACLU Withdraws Lawsuit Against Texas “Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn” After filing the lawsuit in February, the ACLU has dropped its litigation against the seven Texas cities that passed ordinances to effectively prohibit abortion.
By Daniel Friend
Jezebel (05-22-2020)
Inside the Plan to End Legal Abortion
By Esther Wang
The Texan (03-13-2020)
Whiteface Passes Ordinance Declaring “Sanctuary City for the Unborn”
The small West Texas town of Whiteface passed an ordinance on Thursday night to ban abortion within city limits.
By Daniel Friend
The Huff Post (03-02-2020)
The Traveling Salesman Bringing Abortion Bans To A Texas Town Near You Over the past year, Mark Lee Dickson has convinced 12 towns to pass ordinances banning abortion. For women in those towns, fear and confusion reigns.
By Melissa Jeltsen
2020
The Texan (02-25-2020)
ACLU Files Lawsuit Against Seven Towns Declared “Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn”
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit on behalf of two pro-choice activist organizations in Texas against seven cities that have declared themselves "sanctuary cities for the unborn."
By Daniel Friend
The Texan (02-24-2020)
2020 March for Life Draws Enormous Crowd in Washington, D.C.
March for Life, the annual pro-life rally in Washington, D.C., continued to draw enormous crowds this year, with Donald Trump becoming the first president to address the rally in-person.
By Daniel Friend
The Texan (02-19-2020)
Lindale City Council Rejects Ordinance to Ban Abortion in Favor of Non-Binding Resolution
Many pro-life residents in Lindale were disappointed after their city council rejected their request for an ordinance to outlaw abortion, passing a non-binding resolution instead.
By Daniel Friend
The Texan (02-13-2020)
The small East Texas town of Wells passed three ordinances on Monday to become a "sanctuary city for the unborn," a "Second Amendment sanctuary," and ban camping on public property.
By Daniel Friend
CNN (01-25-2020)
Small towns in Texas are declaring themselves ‘sanctuary cities for the unborn’
By Harmeet Kaur
The Texas Tribune (01-15-2020)
Three Texas towns vote in favor of “sanctuary cities for the unborn,” hoping to ban abortion
Big Spring, Colorado City and Rusk are the three latest towns to vote in favor of such ordinances, which are of contested legality and enforceability.
By Edgar Walters
The Texan (01-10-2020)
Rusk City Council Approves Sanctuary for the Unborn Ordinance
On Thursday night, the city of Rusk became the eighth city in the state to pass a "Sanctuary City for the Unborn" ordinance, effectively banning abortionists from operating within city limits.
By Daniel Friend
2019
2019
2019
The Texan (11-22-2019)
“Sanctuary City for the Unborn” Ordinance Passes in West Texas Towns
The small city of Westbrook passed an ordinance this week declaring itself a "sanctuary for the unborn" — a sign that the movement is gaining traction in new areas of Texas.
By Daniel Friend
The Texan (09-25-2019)
Three More East Texas Towns Pass “Sanctuary City for the Unborn” Ordinances
Ordinances to prohibit abortion are gaining traction in East Texas as three new towns have become "sanctuary cities for the unborn" in less than two weeks.
By Daniel Friend
The Washington Post (07-27-2019)
A tiny Texas town finds itself on the front lines of the abortion wars
By Laura Hughes
2019
2019
The Texan (07-26-2019)
Pro-Life Movement Promotes “Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn” in Abilene, Gilmer
Pro-life advocates in Gilmer and Abilene are encouraging their city councils to adopt ordinances establishing a "sanctuary city for the unborn," which would ban abortion in city limits.
By Daniel Friend
Fox News (07-17-2019)
Texas town blocks mayor’s bid to become ‘sanctuary city for the unborn’
By Caleb Parke
Jezebel (07-16-2019)
Another Small Texas City Wants to Become a Sanctuary City for the 'Unborn'
By Frida Garza
The Guardian (06-14-2019)
This all-male council in Texas just voted to ban abortion
Five men vote to make Waskom ‘sanctuary city for the unborn’ Unconstitutional vote comes after series of bans nationwide
By Jessica Glenza
2019
Jezebel (06-13-2019)
Congratulations to the 5 Old Men Who Just Declared Their City a Sanctuary ‘for the Unborn’
By Frida Garza
The Washington Post (06-13-2019)
Five men outlaw abortion in a Texas town, declaring a ‘sanctuary city for the unborn’
By Isaac Stanley-Becker
Fox News (06-12-2019)
By Caleb Parke
Fox News (05-17-2019)
Texas woman taken off life support against family’s wishes – then a pro-life group stepped in
By Caleb Parke