LINDALE, Texas (KETK) – The Lindale City Council voted on Thursday to make their city a “sanctuary city for the unborn.”
On the council’s agenda for their Thursday night meeting there was a “public hearing on citizen initiative petition for ordinance outlawing abortion, declaring Lindale a Sanctuary City for the Unborn.”
During the reunion, community members got to take a stand before city leaders and voice their opinions on the ordinance.
“We have the kind of community that can and should support women and babies that might find themselves in hard situations,” said Laura Ray, a Lindale resident.
However, the ACLU of Texas said that this ordinance is unconstitutional, no matter where it’s implemented.
“It explicitly states that if community members know of someone who violated this law, that they then go to their district attorney and turn in their neighbors. That is just horrific to me,” said Blair Wallace, with the ACLU of Texas.
The meeting on Thursday started at 6 p.m. at Picker’s Pavilion on 205 E. North Street.
The idea of creating a sanctuary city for the unborn in Lindale is not a new one. In January and February 2020 the city heard a few pitches from Lindale residents who wanted to see the ordinance passed.
On February 18, 2020, the city passed a resolution to condemn abortion, but did not create an ordinance. At the time, City Attorney Glen Patrick said there was no real way to enforce such an ordinance.
Lindale became the 15th East Texas city to declare itself a sanctuary city for the unborn. The other East Texas cities include:
