Lubbock, TX has become the largest city in Texas to become a sanctuary city for the unborn.
On May 1st, 2021, Lubbock, TX became one of twenty-five cities in Texas to vote to outlaw abortion within its city limits. Proposition A passed with 21,400 (62%) votes for, and 12,860 (38%) votes against the ordinance.
Following the arrival of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Lubbock, pro-life activists banded together to form a Proposition A and petition to get it on the City Council agenda. The ordinance was rejected twice by the Lubbock City Council and then put to a citywide vote. The large voter turnout of those in favor of the ordinance reflects Lubbock’s mostly conservative population.
Since the passage of the ordinance, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas stated they will be making a decision concerning abortion availability in Lubbock. They stated they believe that healthcare service access should not be determined by one’s zip code, as the ordinance would force the need to travel hundreds of miles or out of state to obtain an abortion. Planned Parenthood also cited high rates of sexually transmitted infection (STIs) and teen pregnancy as opposition to the ordinance.
Lubbock mayor Dan Pope expects the ordinance to take effect on June 1st of this year. The city of Lubbock will be the first city to approve an anti-abortion ordinance with an abortion provider already within city limits.
