A vote on an ordinance to outlaw abortions in the “sanctuary city” of Clovis, New Mexico, which is close to the Texas border, was postponed by the city commission out of concern about legal challenges in a state where the practice is still permitted, Reuters reported.
According to pro-life activists who claim it is part of a nationwide drive into “blue” states, Clovis was about to become the first municipality in a state controlled by the Democratic Party to approve a so-called “sanctuary city for the unborn” policy.
Even though Clovis lacks an abortion facility, it might be able to accommodate visitors from the east, in Republican-ruled Texas. Providers performing abortions in Texas risk up to life in jail since it was one of the first states to outlaw them almost entirely.
A similar proposal is anticipated to be discussed by the Hobbs city commission on Monday. Affluent eastern New Mexico is home to both Hobbs and Clovis. There is no abortion clinic in Hobbs either.
The Clovis commission’s eight members all declared their support for an abortion ban on Thursday, but seven decided to postpone action until the language could be revised to better fend off legal challenges.
The meeting’s facilitator, Mayor Mike Morris, reiterated his anti-abortion stance, stated that he wanted to see an ordinance pass, and said that he “does not want to see Clovis become a destination for abortions,” as cited by Reuters. However, he stressed that the suggested measure still needed further effort.
Jonathan Mitchell, a right-leaning Texas attorney who was the main proponent of Texas’ 2021 “heartbeat” abortion ban, is the author of the ordinance.
The “sanctuary city” movement, which has led to the adoption of anti-abortion laws in more than 50 Texas communities and other conservative states, was founded by Texas preacher Mark Lee Dickson.
In response to commissioners’ concerns about the city being sued over the rule, he shouted “I’ll pay for it!” and was expelled from the Clovis meeting on Tuesday by the mayor. Although he claimed the decision to postpone was a setback, he vowed to battle on in Clovis.
The progressive organization Eastern New Mexico Rising, which is opposed to the law and is being led by a Clovis citizen named Laura Wight, applauded the postponed decision, adding that the “fight is still ahead.”
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