A second Nebraska city voted this week to ban abortions by becoming a Sanctuary for the Unborn.
The unanimous vote by the Blue Hill City Council on Tuesday made it the 25th city in the United States to pass an ordinance that protects unborn babies from abortions, Live Action News reports.
Mark Lee Dickson, director with Right to Life of East Texas and leader of the Sanctuary for the Unborn initiative, said city leaders took action swiftly after a community member learned about the Village of Hayes Center, Nebraska passing a Sanctuary for the Unborn ordinance earlier this month.
He said Mayor Keri Schunk “reached out to a director with Right to Life of East Texas on Friday morning. It was placed on the city council agenda that morning, and a vote took place on Tuesday — just four days later.”
Schunk admitted that she questioned the necessity of the ordinance at first, but now she is thankful that the city took action.
“I wasn’t sure it was necessary for small-town Blue Hill,” she said. “Would anyone ever open an abortion clinic here? Probably not, but I’ve learned being proactive is much easier than being reactive. Today, more than ever, we must strive for a better tomorrow, or society will suppress and surpass us. I think the future of Blue Hill is in good hands with a council that unanimously votes to prohibit abortion within their city limits.”
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The Sanctuary for the Unborn ordinance recognizes that unborn babies are valuable human beings who deserve to be protected under the law. It prohibits abortions within city limits and prevents abortion businesses from opening there. It also penalizes abortion practitioners for aborting unborn babies, but it does not penalize women who seek or have abortions.
“It shall be unlawful for any person to procure or perform an abortion of any type and at any stage of pregnancy in the city of Blue Hill, Nebraska,” the ordinance states. “It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly aid or abet an abortion that occurs in the city of Blue Hill, Nebraska.”
It also prohibits abortion-inducing drugs.
Writing at Live Action News, Dickson said the ordinance does not prohibit birth control devices or oral contraceptives, and acts to “save the life or preserve the health of an unborn child,” “remove a dead, unborn child whose death was caused by accidental miscarriage” or “remove an ectopic pregnancy” are allowed.
He told LifeNews that the Nebraska ordinances are a little different from the Texas ordinances.
“There is no private enforcement action … and, according to the ordinance, the fines are immediately able to be enforced regardless of the standing of Roe v. Wade,” Dickson said.
Recently, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts praised the cities for taking action, KNOP News 2 reports.
“Nebraska is a pro-life state, and communities are working to recognize and protect innocent life in a variety of ways. The Biden-Harris Administration is pushing a radical, pro-abortion agenda, and Nebraska must do everything we can to stand against the abortion lobby,” said Ricketts, a pro-life Republican.
So far, 23 cities in Texas and two in Nebraska have passed Sanctuary for the Unborn ordinances.
Dickson said other cities in Nebraska, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas also have expressed interest in passing pro-life ordinances. He said President Joe Biden’s administration “wants abortion access in every zip code,” but many cities do not.
Residents of Lubbock, Texas also are trying to pass a Sanctuary for the Unborn ordinance after Planned Parenthood opened a new abortion facility there last year. In November, the Lubbock City Council rejected the ordinance, but because of a citizen-led petition, residents will have the opportunity to approve the ordinance on the May election ballot.
Abortion activists tried to stop the Sanctuary for the Unborn effort, but, last year, the American Civil Liberties Union dropped its lawsuit challenging seven of the cities’ ordinances.
