Commissioners in a Florida county that is considering an abortion ban just approved funding to help local mothers in need.
On Tuesday, as pro-abortion protesters gathered outside the Manatee County Administration Building yelling and holding signs that read “Invest in community, not misogyny” and “Keep abortion legal,” inside the Manatee County Commissioners took action to help pregnant mothers and their babies.
Mark Lee Dickson, director with Right to Life of East Texas and leader of the Sanctuary City for the Unborn initiative, attended the meeting. He said the commissioners voted 5-1 to give $100,000 to help pregnant mothers receive prenatal care through Solve Maternity Homes and Care Net Manasota Pregnancy Center.
“… without a doubt, [this will] save many lives in Manatee County,” Dickson said.
The vote and the pro-abortion protest are connected to Commissioner James Satcher’s plan to introduce an ordinance that would ban abortions in the county. Satcher said his proposal would be similar to the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinances that have been approved in 33 cities in Texas, Ohio and Nebraska.
In June, Satcher received approval from his fellow commissioners to move forward with his plans.
“Everyone knows where I stand as far as pro-life policies,” Satcher told the other commissioners at the time. “So this is permission for me to work and ask for more time from the attorney and the county administrator than the two hours than they would normally give you.”
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It is not clear when Satcher will introduce his ordinance, but abortion activists already are mounting protests.
On Tuesday, about 40 abortion activists gathered outside the commissioners’ office to demand support for abortion, according to a report by the Bradenton Herald.
One protester, state Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, said the commissioners are just trying to score “political points,” according to the report.
“It’s really important for us to be here because I think it’s really easy to have a myopic view and say, ‘Our view is the only view.’ There’s a lot of folks that don’t agree at all,” Rayner said. “I think it’s red meat for their political base.”
But Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinances are saving lives.
In the spring, voters in Lubbock, Texas overwhelmingly passed a pro-life ordinance to ban abortions in their city, resulting in Planned Parenthood stopping abortions there. The abortion chain did sue the city, but a judge recently dismissed its lawsuit.
City leaders in Naples, Florida also are scheduled to discuss a possible pro-life ordinance in August.
