[THEEPOCHTIMES] The city of Levelland, Texas, voted to become one of the latest municipalities to ban All four City Council members voted in favor of the ordinance, which states: "It shall be unlawful for any person to procure or perform an
"It shall be unlawful," the ordinance says, "for any person to knowingly aid or abet an
Councilwoman Mary Engledow said the successful vote marks a "great day" for the city, adding: "We have done something that has been long overdue. Levelland is truly Blessed and by passing ’Sanctuary City for the Unborn’ we will remain blessed."
Mark Lee Dickson, the head with Right To Life of East Texas and founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn initiative, told Life News that the vote is "a victory for the unborn" as well as for women who received
She cited Levelland resident Kati Morris’s testimony. Morris, who helped lead the effort in Levelland, told Texas Scorecard: "I had an
The nearby city of Lubbock approved a similar ordinance on May 1. Planned Parenthood
...has received federal funding since 1970, when President Richard Nixon signed into law the Family Planning Services and Population Research Act. It is sometimes described as the gynecololgical wing of the Democratic party...challenged Lubbock’s ordinance in court, which was dismissed by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who argued that Planned Parenthood lacked jurisdiction.
"Because plaintiffs fail to show, as they must, that they have Article III standing to sue the city, the Court dismisses the case for lack of jurisdiction," the judge wrote last week. The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it can be refiled.
Regarding Lubbock’s ordinance, Texas Solicitor General Judd Stone wrote in a letter (pdf) that it won’t violate Texas state law, suggesting that the nearly identical ordinance passed in Levelland could stand.
"In our view, Planned Parenthood has not shown that Lubbock’s ordinance is inconsistent with state law. To the extent that the Court finds state law to be ambiguous regarding the merits of Planned Parenthood’s claims, the Court should abstain from exercising jurisdiction," Stone wrote.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, meanwhile, noted in a letter that "under Texas law, when a later-enacted statute clarifies the meaning of earlier statutes, it is ’highly persuasive,’ even if it does not technically control."
Related:
Abortion: 2021-06-08 Planned Parenthood Lawsuit Against Lubbock Abortion Ban Dismissed by U.S. District Judge
Abortion: 2021-06-06 Texas Bill Banning Tenets of Critical Race Theory and Action Civics Sent to Governor
Abortion: 2021-06-05 'A Fetus Is Just A Clump Of Cells,' Says Slightly Older, Larger Clump Of Cells
Abortion: 2021-06-08 Planned Parenthood Lawsuit Against Lubbock Abortion Ban Dismissed by U.S. District Judge
Abortion: 2021-06-06 Texas Bill Banning Tenets of Critical Race Theory and Action Civics Sent to Governor
Abortion: 2021-06-05 'A Fetus Is Just A Clump Of Cells,' Says Slightly Older, Larger Clump Of Cells