A federal judge has dismissed Planned Parenthood's lawsuit against Lubbock, Texas and clears the path to become a 24th "sanctuary city for the unborn."
Forbes reported that the lawsuit filed by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in behalf of Planned Parenthood in May was dismissed by the judge on the account of a lack of jurisdiction and that it could not stop lawsuits of private citizens if it ruled in their favor. Forbes said the judge's decision has now paved the way for the ordinance voted on by Lubbock's citizens to be in effect on Tuesday.
According to the Texas Tribune, citizens of Lubbock voted in May on an ordinance that will make their city a "sanctuary for the unborn." The ordinance received a 62% vote that made Lubbock the biggest Texas city to be declared a "sanctuary" where abortions are prohibited to be performed locally.
Texas legislators and conservatives were reported to praise the positive outcome of the elections for the ordinance. One of those who commended the ordinance's passing was Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Movement Founder Mark Lee Dickson who said this achievement will now push the measure on a city level--that is creating a domino effect for other cities to follow.
"This was a landslide election, it's very obvious that the people of Lubbock have spoken. I am expecting that Planned Parenthood will obey," Dickson said in an interview with the Christian Post.
The ordinance also allows any family or relative besides the mother--"an unborn child's mother, father, grandparents, siblings, and half siblings"--to sue the abortion provider or anyone who assists in the abortion even those who refer them to the abortion clinic. The city did not implement the abortion ban but drafted the ordinance that relied heavily on lawsuits filed by private citizens against abortion.
However, the ordinance could not be enforced unless the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, which the judge's decision on Tuesday technically did.
The Texas Tribune said the ACLU of Texas filed the lawsuit like it did with seven other Texas towns previously out of their belief that abortion bans are "unconstitutional" and there is a need to "protect the fundamental rights of the people of Lubbock."
Forbes added that there are 26 cities in Texas that have already declared themselves as "sanctuaries" against abortion, including Lubbock that actually has an abortion provider facility in its midst. Forbes also highlighted that the lawsuits filed by ACLU were all dismissed since the cities already amended their measures to decriminalize suing organizations. The Texan said Poyner is the 26th town in Texas to become a "sanctuary city for the unborn," following Abernathy which is the 25th.
In May, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the Heartbeat Bill that bans all abortions in six weeks of pregnancy and beyond as part of his promise to "always lead the way to protect the unborn." Abbott stressed that so many "children lose their right to life every year" and the state aims to "save those lives" through the said bill. The bill penalizes physicians who have not checked the fetal heartbeat of an unborn child prior to conducting an abortion.
