The signs at the entrances of the small Texas community of Moulton (pop. 886) reads, “Welcome to Moulton: The friendly little city with a HEART as big as Texas!” The City of Moulton is located ten miles south of Interstate 10 on Highway 95 between the City of Flatonia (pop. 1,353) and the City of Shiner (pop. 2,174) – home of the oldest independent brewery in the State of Texas. The city is located about 50 miles from the City of Victoria (pop. 67,670) and 60 miles from the City of Austin (pop. 995,484) – the capital of Texas.
The City of Moulton is one of the many cities across Texas that is set to consider an ordinance further outlawing abortion in their community. In June 2019, the City of Waskom (pop. 2,190) in East Texas became the first city in the nation to pass an ordinance outlawing abortion within its city limits. Now a total of 70 cities and 8 counties have passed such ordinances and declared their communities “Sanctuaries for the Unborn.” Senators and Representatives across the State have encouraged the passage of such measures. After Hallettsville Mayor Alice Summers announced the city council would consider the proposed ordinance at its next meeting, State Representative A.J. Louderback (HD 30) shared, “As a staunch advocate for the unborn, I am excited to see Hallettsville City Council considering adopting a pro-life ordinance and standing up for our most vulnerable population. I encourage city leaders to adopt this policy to make Hallettsville and House District 30 a stronghold for the pro-life movement in Texas.”
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Many residents throughout the City of Moulton are eager to beat Hallettsville to the punch. Moulton resident Tanee Colburn shared, “Seventy cities in our nation have already passed ordinances outlawing abortion. Fifty-three of those cities are in Texas and have already paved the way for us. There is no reason why we couldn’t be the seventy-first city in the nation and the fifty-fourth city in Texas to become a ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn.’” Colburn continued, “I think it would be really great if Moulton led the way here in Lavaca County and became the first city in our county to pass such an ordinance?”
Community interest to further outlaw abortion arose in the Moulton community after a similar effort was launched by residents in the City of Hallettsville (pop. 2,756), which is about 20 miles southeast of the City of Moulton. The number of signatures already obtained by the initiative is significant. Currently, over 150 members of the Moulton community have signed the petition to further outlaw abortion in the city. Colburn, who has been collecting signatures, shared, “You know the initiative has a lot of support when, in a matter of days, almost 20% of a city’s residents have signed a petition to outlaw abortion.” To better understand the significance of this number, one only has to look back at the number of votes cast during the last mayoral election in May 2023: Mayor Mark Zimmerman was elected with 92 votes, City Councilman Place 1 Adam Nieto was elected with 114 votes, City Councilmember Place 2 Kelley Moeller was elected with 96 votes, and City Councilmember Place 3 Roberta Mejias was elected with 120 votes. It is certainly no small thing, in the City of Moulton, when over 150 members of the community say they want something.
The majority of those who have signed the petition cited their faith as to why they want to see abortion outlawed in their community. Deborah Novosad, who was the first resident to sign the petition, said she wanted to see abortion outlawed because “abortion is the killing of a living baby.” Karin Filipp said she wanted to see abortion outlawed “because if you commit an abortion you are killing life” and Janet Raabe simply said, “It’s murder.”
Sharon Etlinger said she wanted to see abortion outlawed because “human life begins at conception” and that life was life “regardless of size or age.” Etlinger shared, “After conception it is a human life, a person. The taking of innocent human life is murder. You can’t get more innocent than a child in the womb. Abortion is another word for murder. Murder is outlawed. Abortion should be. A nation that kills its children, kills its future.” When asked on the petition why he wanted to see abortion outlawed George Kalisek wrote, “All life is sacred. We are all made in God’s image.”
Heather and Harley Wilson, two members of the Moulton community who attend Sacred Heart Catholic School in Hallettsville, also signed the petition. Heather Wilson said she wanted to see abortion outlawed because “it is wrong to kill unborn babies” and “it is also against the sixth commandment,” while her sister Harley said she wanted to see abortion outlawed because “every child should be able to have a life to live and not get aborted before they even have a chance to live.“ Harley further emphasized the importance of the matter, stating, “Everyone deserves to live, no matter what.”
Mary Ann Wenske referenced the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America, which recognizes that everyone has the Right to Life. While the Preamble of the Declaration of the Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution states, “No State shall . . . deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
The proposed Moulton Sanctuary City for the Unborn (SCFTU) Ordinance, which is being considered by the Mayor and City Council, recognizes such statements. The second through fourth findings of the Ordinance state, “Human life begins at conception,” “Abortion is a murderous act of violence that purposefully and knowingly terminates an unborn human life,” and “Unborn human beings are entitled to the full and equal protection of the laws that prohibit violence against other human beings.”
Abortion is defined by the proposed ordinance as “the act of using, prescribing, administering, procuring, or selling of any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance, device, or means with the purpose to terminate the pregnancy of a woman, with knowledge that the termination by any of those means will with reasonable likelihood cause the death of an unborn child.” The proposed ordinance is clear that the term does not include: “In vitro fertilization or fertility treatments of any type; the use, prescription, administration, procuring, or selling of Plan B, morning-after pills, intrauterine devices, or any other type of contraception or emergency contraception; or an act performed with the purpose to: save the life or preserve the health of the unborn child; remove a dead unborn child caused by spontaneous abortion; or remove an ectopic pregnancy, the implantation of a fertilized egg or embryo outside of the uterus.”
An overwhelming majority of the citizens of Lavaca County have already voted on abortion twice and each time they had overwhelming numbers in favor of ‘pro-life.’ During the 2018 Republican Party Primary, voters had the opportunity to vote on Proposition #7. This proposition gave voters the opportunity to vote FOR or AGAINST the following statement: “I believe abortion should be abolished in the State of Texas.” In Lavaca County, out of 2,476 votes, a total of 1,983 (80%) voted in favor of the statement and 493 (20%) voted against the statement. During the 2020 Presidential Election, Donald Trump easily carried Lavaca County. A total of 8,804 (86%) voted FOR Donald Trump while only 1,333 (13%) voted for Joseph Biden. This means a majority of a super-majority of those who voted in Lavaca County are in favor of abortion being abolished in the State of Texas.
Even more recently, during the 2022 Republican Party Primary on March 1, voters had the opportunity to vote on Proposition #5. This proposition gave voters the chance to voice their opinion if they were FOR or AGAINST the following statement: “Texas should enact a state constitutional amendment to defend the sanctity of innocent human life, created in the image of God, from fertilization until natural death.” In Lavaca County, out of 4,308 votes, a total of 3,966 (92%) voted in favor of the statement and 342 (8%) voted against the statement. During the 2024 Presidential Election, Donald Trump carried Lavaca County even more than he did before. A total of 9,215 (88%) voted FOR Donald Trump while only 1,235 (12%) voted for Kamala Harris. This once again shows a majority of a super-majority of those who voted in Lavaca County are pro-life and in favor of doing more to protect the lives of unborn children.
Lavaca County Republican Party Chair Lorena Kanak, who stands in full support of Moulton becoming a sanctuary for the unborn, shared, “Lavaca County is close to a 90% Republican county. Part of our platform is upholding the sanctity of the unborn and promoting the protection of that life.” In 2024, the Republican Party of Texas Party Platform contained the following planks relevant to the provisions found in SCFTU ordinances:
Plank #194(l), under the heading of “Pro-Life” reads, “Abortion is not healthcare, it is homicide. Until the abolition of abortion is achieved, we support laws that restrict and regulate abortion, including but not limited to . . . Supporting the right of Texas municipalities to protect mothers and their preborn children in their communities by passing enforceable city ordinances that further ban abortions within their city limits, closing loopholes in state abortion laws.” This plank is addressed in provisions one through six and in provision seven of the proposed Moulton SCFTU ordinance.
Plank #194(j), under the heading of “Pro-Life”, reads, “Abortion is not healthcare, it is homicide. Until the abolition of abortion is achieved, we support laws that restrict and regulate abortion, including but not limited to . . . Extending the private cause of action used in the Texas Heartbeat Act to all pro-life laws and policies in Texas.” This plank is also addressed in provisions one through six and in provision seven of the proposed Moulton SCFTU ordinance.
Plank #53, under the heading “Prohibit Abortion Transportation Across State Lines”, reads, “We support legislation to prohibit the use of any government funds, as well as the transportation of pregnant women across Texas’ state lines, for the purpose of procuring an elective abortion and for the provision of a private right of action against all persons and organizations who aid and abet in the harming of the woman, and the killing of her preborn child.” This plank is addressed in provisions two through three and in provision seven of the proposed Moulton SCFTU ordinance.
Last but not least, Plank #142, under the heading “Preventing Any Death by Abortion”, reads, “We support protecting preborn children and their mothers by stopping abortion pill distributors from sending and trafficking these lethal and illegal drugs into Texas and holding those accountable who break state Pro-Life laws by selling and trafficking illegal abortion pills.” This plank is addressed in provision four of the proposed Moulton SCFTU ordinance.
The proposed ordinance seeks to protect the health and welfare of all residents within the city of Moulton, including the unborn, by putting into place six provisions. These provisions (1) prohibit performing elective abortions and aiding or abetting elective abortions within the city limits of Moulton, (2) prohibit elective abortions on residents of Moulton – regardless of where the abortion takes place, (3) prohibit abortion trafficking, (4) prohibit abortion-inducing drugs, (5) prohibit criminal organizations from doing business inside the city limits of Moulton, and (6) prohibit the transport and disposal of the remains of unborn children killed by an elective abortion by abortion providers outside of the State of Texas.
If the proposed ordinance passes, it would be enforced the same way the Texas Heartbeat Act is enforced – through a private enforcement mechanism. The ordinance would allow any person — other than the city of Moulton and any officer or employee of the city — to have standing to bring a civil action against any person or entity that violates any of the six provisions of the SCFTU ordinance.
In addition to providing protections for pregnant mothers and their unborn children, the proposed ordinance also educates members of the community on the Thriving Texas Families Program and the resources that can be obtained through centers listed on the Texas Pregnancy Care Network website.
The City of Moulton also received a letter from Attorney Jonathan F. Mitchell, committing to represent the City of Moulton at no cost to the city or taxpayers for any litigation that may arise from the passage of their ordinance outlawing abortion and abortion trafficking. Mitchell is the former Solicitor General of Texas and the architect of the Texas Heartbeat Act.
The proposed ordinance is scheduled to be discussed by the Moulton City Council at their next city council meeting.
Residents across Texas and the United States who wish to see their city become a Sanctuary City for the Unborn are encouraged to sign the online petition.
LifeNews Note: Mark Lee Dickson lives in Texas and serves as a Director with Right to Life of East Texas and the founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative.
