Sanctuary City proponents plan to try once more to bring issue before council

Two months have now passed since pro-life leaders first approached Hallettsville city officials about passing local ordinances to become next in Texas to become a Sanctuary City of the Unborn, further solidifying the community’s stance on the practice of abortion and those who help facilitate it.

Thus far, backers of the plan have only addressed local council members as part of the public comments section of the local town council meetings, as attempts to secure a spot on the formal business agenda had thus far proven unsuccessful.

The group, which has passed similar measures in 53 Texas towns, proposes that the city approve a six-part set of prewritten ordinances that work hand-in-hand with what’s become known as the Texas Heartbeat Act, the law approved by Texas lawmakers in recent sessions that essentially outlaws abortions from happening in Texas whenever a fetal heartbeat is detected, barring an extremely limited number of circumstances where the life of the mother or the baby she carries are at risk.

It is among the strictest laws against abortion in the United States, but like most laws, there are ways around them, ways that those with the Sanctuary City project say are being exploited.

Specifically, the proposed ordinance have two main targets: 1) The makers and traffickers of drug-induced abortions, commonly referred to as “the morning after pill;” and 2.) those they call “abortion traffickers,” private networks of individuals that have sprung up in recent months to help transport expectant mothers across state and national borders to places where abortion services are still readily available.

It’s why they say they came up with these specific ordinances, to close whatever loopholes remained under the law. They include measures that will:

• Prohibit the performance of elective abortions and those who either aid or abet those who seek elective abortions from such activities within the municipal limits of Hallettsville.

• Enhances the Texas Heartbeat Act to include any elective abortion, from the point of conception, not just from the sound of a fetal heartbeat.

• Adds teeth to Heartbeat Act by including language aimed at drug manufacturers, whose products might get used on Hallettsville residents.

• Specifically bans such drugs from the city.

• Prohibits people from knowingly transporting people to and from elective abortion facilities, as well as targets any organizations from doing business in the city.

• Prohibits the transport and disposal of the remains of unborn children taken out by elective abortions.

Like the Texas Heartbeat Act, these ordinances do not establish abortion as a criminal act (something that would tie up the time and resources of local law enforcement and prosecutors) but rather establishes a private enforcement mechanism that allows private citizens to seek civil remedies against offenders within the legal system.

Next week, many of those same individuals who first raised the Sanctuary City issue locally will be back once more to try and be heard on the issue.

The official meeting agenda should be available by Friday, April 18 (Good Friday, incidentally, just ahead of Easter on Sunday).

Hallettsville city council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Monday, April 21.