City of Douglassville in Texas is 77th ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’ in the US

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this guest post are solely those of the guest author.

On Tuesday, August 5, the City Council of Douglassville, Texas (pop. 228) passed an “Ordinance Outlawing Abortion, declaring Douglassville a Sanctuary City for the Unborn” in a unanimous 5-0 vote.

The vote made the City of Douglassville (located at the junction of Hwy 8 and Hwy 77, between the cities of Naples (pop. 1,378) and Atlanta (pop. 5,638)) the 77th city in the nation and the 60th city in Texas to pass an ordinance banning abortion. 

“It was worth it”

After hearing about the opportunity to pass the measure, Douglassville Mayor Dewitt McCall called a special meeting of the Douglassville City Council to consider the measure on Thursday, July 31. At that meeting, the city council heard a presentation from Right to Life Across Texas regarding the importance and necessity of the passage of the measure.

While several of the city council members wanted to vote in favor of the measure that night, Councilwoman Kay Gilbert wanted a few more days to read through the ordinance in light of the information she received from the presentation. A second special meeting to consider the ordinance was set for five days later on Tuesday, August 5. 

During the second called meeting, a second shorter presentation was given by Right to Life Across Texas. After members of the city council asked several questions to clarify their understanding of the measure, a motion to pass the measure was made by Councilman Matt Grandberry, seconded by Councilman Tim Walker, and passed in a unanimous 5-0 vote.

Councilwoman Kay Gilbert said, “If in 10 years this ordinance saves just one life, then it was worth it.”

The Ordinance

The City of Douglassville is the second city in Cass County, and the sixteenth city in the Tyler-Longview Area Region to pass a ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’ ordinance. Other cities in the region to have passed such ordinances include: Athens (pop. 13,503), Lindale (pop. 6,923), Rusk (5,664), Gilmer (pop. 5,216), Hooks (pop. 2,769), Waskom (pop. 2,190), Naples (pop. 1,378), Big Sandy (pop. 1,343), Omaha (pop. 1,021), East Mountain (pop. 899), Wells (pop. 853), Murchison (pop. 606), Avinger (pop. 444), Gary (pop. 335), and Poynor (pop. 314). The only city in the region, and the entire state, to have recanted its ordinance is the City of Omaha, which recanted its ordinance after receiving an open records request from the ACLU of Texas in 2019. 

The six provisions of the Douglassville Sanctuary City for the Unborn Ordinance: (1) prohibit performing an elective abortion and aiding or abetting elective abortions within the city limits of Douglassville, (2) prohibit elective abortions on residents of Douglassville – regardless of where the abortion takes place, (3) prohibit abortion trafficking through the City of Douglassville, (4) prohibit the mailing of abortion-inducing drugs into the City of Douglassville, (5) prohibit criminal organizations from doing business inside the city limits of Douglassville, and (6) prohibit through or in the City of Douglassville the transportation and disposal of the remains of unborn children who have been killed by an elective abortion across state lines and carried into Texas by waste management companies. 

The Douglassville Sanctuary City for the Unborn Ordinance is enforced in the same manner as the Texas Heartbeat Act — through a private enforcement mechanism. The ordinance reads, “Any person, other than the city of Douglassville, and any officer or employee of the city, has standing to bring and may bring a civil action against any person or entity that: violates any provision” of this ordinance.

In addition to providing protections for pregnant mothers and their unborn children, the ordinance also educates about the Thriving Texas Families Program and directs people to the Texas Pregnancy Care Network website and The Pregnancy Network website operated by Human Coalition to be connected to these services.

Providing for women and protecting babies

The two closest pregnancy resource centers to Douglassville are the 1st Choice Pregnancy Resource Center located 23.9 miles away in Texarkana, Texas and the Expectant Heart Pregnancy Resource Center located 24.3 miles away in Daingerfield, Texas. While not associated with the Texas program, the next closest pregnancy resource center is Pathway Resource Center located 30.5 miles away in Texarkana, Arkansas. Lindsey McDowell, whose mother founded Pathway Resource Center, was present at the meeting and shared about some of the services they provide for those who find themselves in an unexpected pregnancy. 

After Tuesday’s vote, Douglassville resident Justin Gladden said, “I am so thankful to be in a community with a town council that showed wisdom and courage to stand for what is right. I pray that more town councils show the wisdom that ours did.”

Pastor Heston McLaurin of Douglassville Fellowship Church shared:

I am grateful we are making headway in the fight against abortion. I thank the Lord for every step forward in defending the lives of unborn children. I’m very proud of Douglassville’s mayor, Dewitt McCall, for demonstrating urgent obedience in standing for the truth. He and the city council showed courage in their unanimous decision to protect the unborn.

The City of Douglassville follows the City of Hooks (pop. 2,769) and Shelby County (pop. 24,192) as the third political subdivision to pass a “Sanctuary for the Unborn” Ordinance during Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s first special session of the 89th Texas Legislature, where he has called the Texas Senate and House to pass legislation further protecting pregnant mothers and their unborn children from the harm of abortion. 

Other Cass County cities which could consider the ordinance in the future include: Atlanta (pop. 5,638), Linden (pop. 1,988), Hughes Springs (pop. 1,856), Queen (pop. 1,476), Bloomburg (pop. 376), Domino (pop. 200), and Marietta (pop. 124). Citizens who wish to see their city or county pass an ordinance further outlawing abortion in their community, regardless of what state they live in, are encouraged to sign the online petition at www.sanctuarycitiesfortheunborn.com.

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