Texas City Becomes 36th in America and 33rd in Texas to Ban Abortions

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Aug 11, 2021   |   11:06AM   |   Washington, DC

On Tuesday, the City Council of Crawford voted unanimously to become the 36th in the U.S. and 33rd in Texas to pass a Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance and outlaw abortions within city limits.

“Crawford is honored to stand up for the unborn to make sure that no babies are killed in our city limits by abortion,” Councilwoman Cindy Vannatta said.

Their action followed another vote Monday in Leona, Texas to pass a pro-life ordinance in their city.

The ordinance protects unborn babies by making it “unlawful for any person to procure or perform an abortion of any type and at any stage of pregnancy” in the city. It also prohibits people from knowingly aiding or abetting an abortion within city limits. The ordinance treats abortion drugs as contraband. However, it does not prohibit birth control and allows exceptions if the mother’s life is at risk.

The ordinance goes into effect immediately.

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John Pisciotta, founder and director of Pro-Life Waco, praised Crawford leaders for taking action to protect babies and mothers.

“I hope and pray this is just the beginning of communities in Central Texas defending the precious little ones who cannot defend themselves,” Pisciotta said in a statement provided to LifeNews.

The Sanctuary City for the Unborn movement is growing, and it has been effective in protecting unborn babies from abortion.

In May, voters in Lubbock, Texas overwhelmingly approved a Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance on the ballot, and Planned Parenthood was forced to stop aborting unborn babies there. The abortion chain challenged the ordinance, but a judge threw out its lawsuit earlier this summer.

Large or small, the cities’ actions are making an impact for life and gaining the attention of people across America.

Mark Lee Dickson, director with Right to Life of East Texas and founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn initiative, commented on the latest vote: “Crawford, Texas, although small, is a city which many throughout the United States have heard of due to former President [George W.] Bush having a part-time residence outside of its borders. I’m thankful that this city which has a reputation of being a haven for one of our former presidents will be known for being a haven for the unborn.”

Dickson encouraged anyone interested in seeing a Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance pass in their city to sign the online petition at www.sanctuarycitiesfortheunborn.com/online-petition.

To date, 33 cities in Texas, two in Nebraska and one in Ohio have passed pro-life ordinances to outlaw abortions. One city, Omaha, Texas, did repeal its ordinance and pass a non-enforceable pro-life resolution instead.

More cities in Texas, Ohio, Florida and other states also are considering passing Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinances this summer. Though abortion activists have threatened legal action, the cities have been successful in court. In 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union dropped its lawsuit challenging their pro-life ordinances.