SAN ANGELO, Texas — The San Angelo City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday to reject a proposed ordinance to make San Angelo a sanctuary for the unborn.
Some council members believe allowing the public to decide on the proposal in the November 2022 election was a better option. That, however, is not yet confirmed to be on the ballots.
“I am pro-life, always have been…50 people should not make the decision for 100,000 people in San Angelo,” Harry Thomas, Single-Member District 3, councilman, shared.
It’s been a long road towards either approving or rejecting this ordinance.
Back in February, an initiating committee asked council to hold a public hearing and vote on the ordinance. But council decided to take public comment during Tuesday's regular meeting to allow San Angelo residents' voices to be heard in the matter.
According to the council agenda, the initiating committee obtained sufficient signatures (1,512 minimum) as outlined in Section 47 of the City's Charter to bring the item to a public hearing.
Official notice was given in the Feb. 16 edition of the local newspaper and certified letters were sent to the initiating committee to alert them of Tuesday's hearing. The letters said "hearing and consideration shall be open to the public, and the public shall be permitted to present arguments for or against such proposed ordinance or resolution."
Tuesday, the City Council had the following options, according to the charter: adopt the ordinance; reject the ordinance; or pass the ordinance in an amended form from presented in the petition
Dozens shared their opinion on the proposed ordinance with council during the public comment portion of the meeting. Speakers shared pro-life ideologies and religious beliefs on the issue.
One included Mark Lee Dickson, Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn founder. As of Feb. 27, 2022, 42 Texas cities have passed ordinances outlawing abortion, he told council. Now Dickson is doing all he can to add San Angelo to that list.
“Thankfully, this may go to the November ballot but this is an issue that the mayor and city council should have been able to vote on. Had this ordinance been passed today, I am sure it would have saved so many lives,” Dickson said.
In May 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott signed the 'Heartbeat Act’ into law, banning abortion procedure as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. That bill went into effect in September 2021.
Because of the San Angelo sanctuary city ordinance denial, the initiating committee now has the ability to request the measure be put on the ballot in November as it is written or they can amend it before sending it to voters.
Each council member claimed they were pro-life, but felt is was necessary for voters to decide what should be done.