{"id":313345,"date":"2024-06-03T18:56:49","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T23:56:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=313345"},"modified":"2024-06-03T22:29:41","modified_gmt":"2024-06-04T03:29:41","slug":"amarillo-sanctuary-city-unborn-petition-signatures-valid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/amarillo-sanctuary-city-unborn-petition-signatures-valid\/","title":{"rendered":"Amarillo \u2018Sanctuary City for the Unborn\u2019 Initiative petition signatures declared valid"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p><i>Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this guest post are solely those of the guest author.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Tuesday, May 28, 2024, the City Council of Amarillo, Texas (pop. 202,408) received the results of a citizen initiative petition for a <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sanctuarycitiesfortheunborn.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sanctuary City for the Unborn<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (SCFTU) ordinance that would further prohibit abortion within the City of Amarillo and prohibit the abortion-trafficking of pregnant mothers and their unborn children to pro-abortion states like New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas. That citizen initiative petition, which began on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/texasscorecard.com\/commentary\/amarillo-citizens-begin-citizen-initiative-process-to-prohibit-abortion-trafficking\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">December 29, 2023<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and was turned in on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/amarillo-citizens-signatures-sanctuary-unborn-vote\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">April 25, 2024<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, was found to have verified approximately 6,400 valid signatures of the approximately 10,400 original signatures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During public comment many spoke for and against the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/img1.wsimg.com\/blobby\/go\/4b2b0d23-d175-4bfb-a8d9-71911a3ad695\/downloads\/amarillo-scftu-ordinance%20(12-29-2023).pdf?ver=1717272453898\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">proposed ordinance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Amarillo SCFTU Initiating Committee member Jana May, who has worked for the ordinance\u2019s passage since 2021, was one of the many who spoke in favor of it. May used her three minutes to remind <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Councilman Tom Scherlen of his promise to support the measure, stating, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTom, you told me twice if we got the number necessary of petitions, which we did, that you would support the ordinance because you would consider it a mandate of the people. I want to say to you that I hope that you are a man of your word.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to hearing multiple speakers in favor of the ordinance, the mayor and City Council also received several letters from a variety of well-known conservative and pro-life organizations including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/texasrighttolife.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Texas Right to Life<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/securetheborder.us\/alliance-for-a-safe-texas\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alliance for a Safe Texas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nifla.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Institute of Family and Life Advocates<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (NIFLA).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_313354\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-313354\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-313354\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/committee-members-address-amarillo-council-dickson-3-700x467.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/committee-members-address-amarillo-council-dickson-3-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/committee-members-address-amarillo-council-dickson-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/committee-members-address-amarillo-council-dickson-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/committee-members-address-amarillo-council-dickson-3-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/committee-members-address-amarillo-council-dickson-3-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/committee-members-address-amarillo-council-dickson-3.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-313354\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sanctuary City for the Unborn Initiating Committee members John Barrett, Jana May, and Steve Austin address the Mayor and City Council. (Photo: Mark Lee Dickson)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NIFLA President and Founder Thomas Glessner gave their organization\u2019s full endorsement. writing in his <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/img1.wsimg.com\/blobby\/go\/4b2b0d23-d175-4bfb-a8d9-71911a3ad695\/downloads\/NIFLA_20240524_152202.pdf?ver=1717272453922\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">letter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNIFLA fully supports the proposed Sanctuary City for the Unborn Ordinance which was brought forth by the citizen initiative petition. While the pre-Roe v. Wade Statutes, the Texas Heartbeat Act, and the Human Life Protection Act have all made a great impact in reducing abortions and empowering mothers to choose life, there is still work to be done in Texas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glessner went on to address loopholes that exist within state law:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the laws of the State of Texas, it is not illegal for an abortion to be performed on a Texas resident outside the State of Texas. And, under the laws of the State of Texas, it is not illegal for someone to drive a Texas resident to get an abortion outside the State of Texas.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every day, pregnant mothers are being driven across state lines for the purpose of obtaining a legal abortion. Every day, unborn children are losing their lives. This ordinance attempts to close some of these loopholes by prohibiting abortions performed on residents of Amarillo across state lines and by prohibiting the abortion trafficking of unborn children across state lines.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In her letter, Alliance for a Safe Texas President Sheena Rodriguez called upon Amarillo\u2019s leadership to take action and address a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cserious problem\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> i<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n their city. Rodriguez <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/img1.wsimg.com\/blobby\/go\/4b2b0d23-d175-4bfb-a8d9-71911a3ad695\/downloads\/Amarillo%20City%20Council%20(1).pdf?ver=1717272453922\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wrote<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the face of the evils of abuse and exploitation, we must do what we can to help save lives and safeguard our communities.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rodriguez encouraged the city council to pass the ordinance which would \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prohibit abortions performed on residents of Amarillo and the abortion trafficking of unborn children across state lines\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and further stated that<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cBy taking this necessary step, the City Council will play a pivotal role in helping to stop the further abuse and exploitation of women and children.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his letter, Texas Right To Life President Dr. John Seago <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/img1.wsimg.com\/blobby\/go\/4b2b0d23-d175-4bfb-a8d9-71911a3ad695\/downloads\/Amarillo%20SCFU%20Letter_JS.docx%20(1).pdf?ver=1717272453922\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">argued<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the ordinance language supported by residents of Amarillo <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cwill serve as an effective and enforceable policy to save lives, disrupt illegal activity from pro-abortion organizations, and stand strong for all innocent human life.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Seago also referred to the recommended language in the ordinance as <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cproven in other cities,\u201d to be \u201clegally prudent and enforceable.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An August 2023<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/texasscorecard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/scftu-elected-official-letter-august-2023-1-1_230928_082112-1.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">letter<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">signed by Texas Senators and Representatives reiterating the need for the ordinance was referenced by supporters at multiple times during the council meeting. It read in part:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it is true that abortion is outlawed in the entire State of Texas, from the point of conception, our work is far from over. Right now\u2026 women are being trafficked across our borders by abortion traffickers funded by abortion trafficking organizations still operating in our state. As a result, these women are being abused and traumatized by abortion across our Texas-New Mexico border and sent back to Texas for our cities and counties to deal with the aftermath taking place in our homes, our schools, our churches, and our hospitals. The Sanctuary for the Unborn ordinances seek to protect these institutions by putting safeguards in place to protect men, women, and their children for years to come.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These ordinances, which seek to close as many loopholes as possible, do not penalize women who seek or undergo abortions, but places the penalty on\u2026the abortionist and the industry profiting from the unjust procedure, including abortion traffickers.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>The Alternative Ordinance<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After receiving citizen support for the original 18-page SCFTU Ordinance, an alternative two-page ordinance was proposed by Mayor Stanley. This outraged Amarillo SCFTU Initiating Committee Member and Amarillo Area Young Republicans President Jacob Meyer, who claimed the &#8220;Citizen Initiative petition process does not give the Mayor or anyone else on the City Council the ability to propose an alternative ordinance as a part of the discussion,&#8221; adding that the mayor did not \u201crespect the process outlined by the Amarillo City Charter.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the meeting, Mayor Stanley publicly reminded the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amarillorfa.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of his promise not to \u201cmove\u201d on the SCFTU Ordinance \u201cas written.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI am going to hold firm on that,\u201d the mayor vowed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the mayor\u2019s two-page ordinance does nothing more than amend the Amarillo Municipal Code by \u201cadding the state-adopted abortion-related restrictions and prohibitions found in Chapters 170A, 171, and 697\u201d of the Texas Health and Safety Code. The mayor deceptively stated, \u201cThese are the loopholes that you guys are telling us we are not paying attention to.\u201d The mayor&#8217;s ordinance, adopting state laws on abortion the City of Amarillo already has to abide by,\u00a0 took precedence and was given a thorough read-through and explanation section-by-section.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;The State of Texas is a \u2018Sanctuary State.\u2019 We don\u2019t have the authority or jurisdiction to legislate laws in New Mexico or any other state,&#8221; the mayor claimed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mayor Stanley justified his proposal by claiming that the 18-page SCFTU ordinance &#8220;is going to be more difficult for you to explain to voters why you would need to pass another ordinance when the city council spent a nine hour marathon here passing this one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mayor allotted time for four individuals to address the City Council, including members of the Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance, Amanda Zurawski, lead plaintiff in the case <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2024\/05\/31\/texas-supreme-court-zurawski-abortion\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zurawski v. the State of Texas<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (the state Supreme court <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/texas-supreme-court-upholds-human-life-protection\/\">ruled in favor<\/a> of the state&#8217;s law), Hope Choice Pregnancy Center\u2019s Executive Director Candy Gibbs, and members of the SCFTU Initiating Committee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zurawski \u2013 who had sued the state for the Human Life Protection Act \u2013 was unable to catch her flight to Amarillo, so a letter was read on her behalf. Like Mayor Stanley, Zurawski opposed the proposed SCFTU Ordinance based on the provision prohibiting abortion trafficking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, Candy Gibbs, the Executive Director of Hope Choice Pregnancy Center, also opposed the SCFTU Ordinance because the only resource listed in the ordinance was the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/texaspregnancy.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Texas Pregnancy Care Network<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which sends people to pregnancy centers throughout Texas utilizing the State of Texas\u2019 Thriving Texas Families (formerly Alternatives to Abortion) program. Gibbs&#8217; objection was that the program, which funds pro-life pregnancy centers, was government-funded. She then claimed that these agencies which utilize this program \u201cclaim to be pro-life\u201d but \u201creceive payment from the government.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_313351\" style=\"width: 710px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-313351\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-313351\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Hope-Choice-PRC-director-Candy-Gibbs-dickson1-700x467.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Hope-Choice-PRC-director-Candy-Gibbs-dickson1-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Hope-Choice-PRC-director-Candy-Gibbs-dickson1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Hope-Choice-PRC-director-Candy-Gibbs-dickson1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Hope-Choice-PRC-director-Candy-Gibbs-dickson1-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Hope-Choice-PRC-director-Candy-Gibbs-dickson1-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Hope-Choice-PRC-director-Candy-Gibbs-dickson1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-313351\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hope Choice Pregnancy Center Executive Director Candy Gibbs speaks against the Sanctuary City for the Unborn Ordinance outlawing abortion trafficking (Photo: Mark Lee Dickson)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surprised that a pregnancy center would attack such a program, and seeking to defend <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cctxp.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 which funds the pregnancy assistance program known as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cctxp.org\/josephs-project\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joseph\u2019s Project<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Texas Pregnancy Care Network\u2019s Executive Director Nicole Neeley found it necessary to set the record straight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neeley stated, \u201cThe Texas Thriving Families Program&#8230; promotes childbirth as an alternative to abortion, and all the organizations we contract with do so by providing counseling, classes, material assistance, and referrals supporting eligible clients through pregnancy and up to 36 months postpartum.&#8221; Neeley reiterated that &#8220;organizations in our network do not receive payment for every interaction they have with a client.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neeley also addressed the misconception raised by Gibbs that pregnancy centers receiving funds from the state program cannot meet the spiritual needs of their clients. Neeley stated, \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We work with many organizations that can and do provide spiritual counseling, although they must seek the client\u2019s consent and keep those services separate from government funded services as is required by our contract with the state. We have over 180 locations across the state of Texas that report they do so much more for clients than what they receive payments for and that receiving payments under this program does not get in the way of serving their clients but helps them flourish as organizations so they can help Texas families thrive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gibbs also objected to the SCFTU Ordinance prohibition on abortion trafficking and the private enforcement mechanism. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI am not in line with telling people where they can and cannot drive their cars, and I am certainly not in line with encouraging people to bring private right of action against parents and grandparents,&#8221;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the PRC director claimed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, while Gibbs applauded the Texas Heartbeat Act, which allowed for private right of action against anyone assisting in an abortion, she sought a carve-out for parents and grandparents, claiming it <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;will simply be compounding the trauma\u201d of the abortion. But it stands to reason that preventing the abortion altogether would also prevent the trauma.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Gibbs&#8217; objections merely water down The Texas Heartbeat Act, which has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/corner\/a-new-jama-study-shows-that-the-texas-heartbeat-act-has-saved-thousands-of-lives\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">saved<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over 10,000 lives and does not include her carve-out for relatives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Live Action&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/aiding-abusers-planned-parenthood\/\">Aiding Abusers series<\/a> made clear that relatives of pregnant teens can coerce them into abortion, or use abortion to cover abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Objections to the Alternative Ordinance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NIFLA President and Founder Thomas Glessner opposed Gibbs&#8217;s recommendations, even though Gibbs operates a NIFLA affiliated PRC. In a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/img1.wsimg.com\/blobby\/go\/4b2b0d23-d175-4bfb-a8d9-71911a3ad695\/downloads\/NIFLA_20240524_133356.pdf?ver=1717272453922\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">letter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sent by NIFLA to Hope Choice Pregnancy Center prior to the council meeting, Glessner wrote, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNIFLA does not support and strongly opposes any changes to the ordinance that would add exceptions absent from any other Texas abortion law, as this would be inconsistent with state law and could have a detrimental effect across the state and the nation. If such an exception were to be added, it would also create a situation where pro-life leaders and organizations from across the state and the nation would likely feel compelled to weigh in on the matter and publicly address those who are advocating for such exceptions.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ironically, Gibbs supported Mayor Stanley\u2019s alternative ordinance, which as previously stated, just reiterated various state laws on abortion &#8211; including a law that provides a private right of action against anyone that aided or abetted an abortion, even parents and grandparents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Representing the SCFTU Initiating Committee, Houston Attorney Jared Najvar called the alternative ordinance<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201can unnecessary and meaningless distraction.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In his letter to the Mayor and City Council, Najvar shared, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMayor Stanley\u2019s ordinance claims to protect human life by \u2018amending the Amarillo Municipal Code to add State-adopted abortion-related restrictions and prohibitions\u2019 but does not accomplish anything more than State law already accomplishes, raising the understandable question whether the City Council wants to simply appear to be strongly pro-life \u2013 by meaninglessly regurgitating provisions already in state law and repeating something the Council itself has already said through a resolution approved years ago \u2013 or whether it wants to actually do something.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Texas Right To Life President Dr. John Seago\u2019s words about Mayor Stanley\u2019s alternative ordinance were just as strong. In his letter to the Mayor and City Council, Dr. Seago called the alternative ordinance \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">completely meaningless,\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in that it would<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cdo absolutely nothing to protect Life or stop the new deadly tactics being used by abortion businesses and organizations in Texas and New Mexico.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He added that the alternative ordinance <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cdoes not contain a single Pro-Life policy nor does it honor the thousands of Amarillo citizens who worked diligently to bring this issue to the attention of the Mayor and City Council. The adoption of the alternative ordinance will set a negative precedent for other Texas cities.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reflecting on the meeting, Amarillo SCFTU Initiating Committee member Steve Austin stated, \u201cThe last time I checked, Mayor Cole Stanley is not the one who collected about 10,400 signatures in support of his ordinance. That was us. Yet our proposed ordinance was not the focus of Tuesday\u2019s meeting.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In accordance with the Amarillo City Charter, the Mayor and City Council have 30 days from May 28, 2024, to take final action on the citizen initiative petition. The city council\u2019s next meeting is scheduled for June 11, 2024. If the Mayor and City Council reject the ordinance supported by over 10,000 residents of Amarillo, the Initiative Committee has the opportunity to force the ordinance onto the ballot for the November 2024 election. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/actnow.io\/ARQQhk1\"><b><i>The DOJ put a pro-life grandmother in jail for protesting the killing of preborn children. Please take 30-seconds to TELL CONGRESS: STOP THE DOJ FROM TARGETING PRO-LIFE AMERICANS.<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this guest post are solely those of the guest author.\u00a0 On Tuesday, May 28, 2024, the City Council of Amarillo, Texas (pop. 202,408) received the results of a citizen initiative petition for a Sanctuary City for the Unborn (SCFTU) ordinance that would further prohibit abortion within the City of Amarillo [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":706,"featured_media":313352,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[7077],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Amarillo \u2018Sanctuary City for the Unborn\u2019 Initiative petition signatures declared valid<\/title>\n<meta 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