Council of Texas city votes to put a stop of abortions
The city council of a small town in Texas voted unanimously to ban abortions within city limits, declaring itself a “sanctuary city of the unborn.”
A five-member city council said it passed the ordinance to prevent abortion clinics from opening in the city, according to KTSA. There is currently no abortion provider in Waskom.
The city’s mayor and attorney reportedly warned council members that the ordinance is unconstitutional, according to KTSA.
“Most likely we will end up getting sued if this passes,” Mayor Jesse Moore said. “It could go to the Supreme Court.”
The ordinance was modeled after the city of Roswell, New Mexico, which had a resolution declaring it a “sanctuary city for the unborn.” Waskom’s ordinance goes further by banning abortions within its city limits.
The ordinance does include exceptions for rape, for incest or if the mother’s life is in danger. The city council, made up of five men, said it included the exceptions so the ordinance could challenge the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision.
The ordinance’s passage comes amid a slate of Republican state legislatures passing bills seeking to restrict abortion access, including neighboring Louisiana.