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It's being hailed as a pro-life victory for Lubbock and for the pro-life movement, and it came one day before the national March for Life in Washington, D.C.

On Thursday, Planned Parenthood dropped its appeal and lawsuit against the City of Lubbock that targeted the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance voters approved in May 2021. The ordinance was backed by 62 percent of voters.

Voters were able to vote on the issue of designating Lubbock a Sanctuary City for the Unborn after the Lubbock City Council rejected the idea. Many members of the Lubbock City Council had stated at November 2020 council meeting that dealing with abortion was a state and/or federal issue.

Lubbock City Councilman Randy Christian said at the November meeting that while he's "pro-life," he couldn't support the measure. According to a KFYO News story:

Councilman Christian said he favored having a vote of the citizens concerning the ordinance, rather than just having a vote of the council. He also said that if the council approved the ordinance, it would open the city to legal action, "... unconstitutional, unenforceable and costly," Christian said.

According to KAMC, an "unopposed motion to dismiss" was filed on the basis that the appeals case was not far along.

“Plaintiffs-appellants [Planned Parenthood] knowingly and voluntarily withdraw this appeal,” court records said. Planned Parenthood and the city will “bear their own costs” for the appeal and for the original lawsuit filed in federal district court.

State Senator Charles Perry issued a statement praising the decision and said "this is an answer to so many of our prayers." Perry also called on other Texas cities to follow Lubbock's lead:

"Texas and Lubbock have shown how states and cities can ban or restrict abortion while immunizing their laws from pre-enforcement judicial review. I encourage other cities in Texas and throughout the United States to adopt similar ordinances.”


The Lubbock ordinance is structured in a similar style to the Texas Heartbeat Act, which is currently being challenged in court.

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