Leaders of an Arkansas county took a stand for life Monday when they advanced a resolution declaring Washington County to be a “pro-life county.”
KNWA News reports the resolution passed a Washington County Quorum Court committee in a 4-1 vote. An intense public comment period resulted in sheriff’s deputies escorting several people who appeared to be abortion activists out of the room.
The resolution now moves to the full quorum court for consideration.
“Washington County, Arkansas, declares itself to be a Pro Life County, committed to the protection of all lives, including the lives of the unborn,” the resolution states. “… it is the duty of governments, such as ours, to protect this unalienable right to life of every person within our jurisdiction.”
The resolution is a statement; it does not have legal power. However, it sends a clear message that the county wants unborn babies to be protected.
SUPPORT LIFENEWS! If you like this pro-life article, please help LifeNews.com with a donation!
County Justice of the Peace Patrick Deakins said he wrote the resolution after watching several federal lawmakers refuse to say when an unborn baby is a human being, according to the report.
“We’ve seen national leaders in the last several weeks being asked if a 15-year-old baby in the womb is a human, and they’ve dodged the question of attesting to the fact that’s a human being,” Deakins said. “That’s really bothered me.”
He said the resolution represents the values of the people of Washington County.
Over the past several years, dozens of local governments across the United States have passed pro-life resolutions and ordinances to protect unborn babies from abortion.
To date, 32 cities in Texas, Nebraska and Ohio have passed ordinances to ban abortions through the Sanctuary City for the Unborn initiative, and pro-life leaders said even more cities are considering action this summer. Unlike resolutions, ordinances are enforceable legislation.
In a huge victory for life this spring, voters in Lubbock, Texas overwhelmingly passed a pro-life ordinance to ban abortions in their city. The vote resulted in Planned Parenthood stopping abortions there. The abortion chain did sue the city to block the ordinance, but a judge recently dismissed its lawsuit.
Other local governments also have passed pro-life resolutions in recent years, including Prattville, Alabama; Roswell, New Mexico; Batavia and Putnam County, New York; Riverton and Highland, Utah; and Springdale, Arkansas.
