Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this guest post are solely those of the guest author.
On Tuesday, November 5, 2024, the City of Amarillo (pop. 202,408) became the first city in the history of Texas to reject a Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn (SCFTU) ordinance on a citywide ballot. A total of 40.54% (27,544) voted FOR the measure with 59.46% (40,392) voting AGAINST the measure. The ordinance would have protected unborn children and their moms from being taken for elective abortions across state lines and prohibited abortion-inducing drugs from being mailed into the City of Amarillo.
Both Live Action Victory’s 2024 Voter Guide and Texas Right To Life’s Texas Pro-Life 2024 Voter Guide encouraged Amarillo voters to vote in favor of Prop A. Had a majority voted FOR Prop A, Amarillo would have become the 53rd city in Texas and the 70th city in the nation to pass a SCFTU Ordinance. Amarillo would also have become the sixth pro-life ballot victory in Texas, following victories in Lubbock (May 2021) and Abilene, San Angelo, Plainview, and Athens (November 2022).
Amarillo’s proposed SCFTU ordinance was opposed by many influential leaders in the community, including Mayor Cole Stanley, Councilman Tom Scherlen, Hope Choice Pregnancy Centers Executive Director Candy Gibbs, Randall County Assistant District Attorney and Planned Parenthood Texas Votes Speaker’s Bureau member Aubrey Birkenfeld, national Women’s March Executive Director Rachel O’Leary Carmona, and former CEO of Planned Parenthood of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle, Claudia Stravato, Several local groups in the community also publicly opposed the measure, including Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance (ARFA), Amarillo Freedom PAC, the Board of the Potter-Randall County Medical Society, the League of Women Voters of Amarillo, the Potter County Democrat Party, the Randall County Democrat Party, and Conservative Patriots 4 Texas.
The Amarillo Globe-News reported that Mayor Stanley, “who opposed Proposition A, expressed relief and pride in the voter’s decision.” Mayor Stanley told the local news outlet, “I’m super proud of the council for doing their job. Our job is to represent the people, not just those who voted for us, but everyone in Amarillo. We brought an extremely divisive issue to the public, and the people had their say.”
Mayor Stanley went on to accuse the measure of not aligning with state law and called the measure “confusing as hell.” Councilman Scherlen also “expressed satisfaction with the outcome.”
Several national and statewide pro-abortion groups who had opposed the measure also declared victory. For the past few years, the Women’s March has been a key player in the battle for abortion access in Amarillo. It was the Women’s March constantly pressuring Federal District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. the FDA. Thankfully, Judge Kacsmaryk stood firm. Unfortunately, when the Amarillo City Council members found themselves being pressured by the Women’s March, the City Council caved, voting against the lifesaving ordinance. A multitude of emails over the last several years revealed. that the Women’s March engaged in an aggressive campaign targeting the City of Amarillo, with many of the emails focused on stopping the proposed Amarillo SCFTU Initiative.
Amarillo Freedom’s “Love Thy Neighbor” billboard against Prop A in Amarillo (Photo: Mark Lee Dickson)
In October, Rachel O’Leary Carmona, their Executive Director, told NOTUS:
There is what’s on the surface of this initiative, but there’s also the rest of the iceberg, which is to say that this is the tip of the spear of a very networked and interconnected campaign that aims to create a de facto abortion ban. It’s one of the smartest ballot initiatives, or it seems small on its face, that could have widespread consequences nationally.
On Tuesday, the Women’s March celebrated the defeat of Prop A, posting on X:
Amarillo showed up and won! Prop A—the abortion travel ban pushed by Christian extremists—has been defeated! Endless gratitude and love to the unstoppable women of Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance and everyone who showed up with us. Huge thanks to every single one of you who chipped in, made calls, and knocked on doors to help defeat this ordinance. This victory proves it: our rights are not up for grabs.
Women’s March anti-Prop A billboard co-opting Christian language to defeat pro-life ordinance (Photo: Mark Lee Dickson)
The ACLU of Texas also celebrated the defeat of the ordinance, posting on X:
AMAZING: Voters in Amarillo, Texas, have rejected the city’s abortion travel ban. This victory comes after months of local organizing. The message is clear: Texans want to protect reproductive freedom — and will do so when given the opportunity.
The Texas Freedom Network, which had worked with the ACLU of Texas to defeat the proposed SCFTU Ordinance in the City of Clarendon, also celebrated the defeat of Prop A. Their press release stated:
Texans are not prisoners of the state, and this state does not own our bodies. We are grateful that Amarillo voters have chosen freedom by rejecting Prop A. This ordinance was an example of massive government overreach, unnecessary cruelty, and a clear violation of the Constitution. Texans deserve freedom over our own bodies and futures, without an extremist minority consistently chipping away at our autonomy and constitutional rights . . .
The majority of Texans support access to abortion, yet the same people who concocted our six-week abortion ban continue pushing their unpopular anti-choice, anti-freedom agenda . . . We as voters and Texans must be vigilant in organizing our communities against plots like Prop A, and our fight to go beyond Roe’s protections can never stop . . . The rejection of Prop A is a celebration of freedom.
While pro-abortion forces celebrated the defeat of Prop A, pro-life organizations recognized the loss.
A statement released by Project Destiny Texas, a Lubbock-based group, read, “This is a hard and sad day in the pro life movement. Amarillo became the first city to Vote against LIFE in our state. We have no words that can comfort but will continue to work in saving pre-born babies’ lives and protecting moms from the traumas of abortion.”
Dr. John Seago, President of Texas Right To Life, shared:
The fact that national and state pro-abortion groups were able to defeat the citizen-led Pro-Life local ordinance in Amarillo is tragic. The tragedy of Prop A is compounded by the fact that these groups used some of the most manipulative and deceptive messaging that the Pro-Life movement in Texas has ever seen.
These radical Pro-abortion groups like the Women’s March did not argue that voters should support abortion, instead they lied about Prop A, Texas Pro-Life laws, and poured in money to flood the city with false accusations against the measure that would appeal to conservatives and Christians in Amarillo.
Pro-Life Proposition A would have enacted a carefully crafted ordinance that would allow Amarillo citizens to fight back against the new tactics the abortion industry is using to bring abortion pills into Texas and women and minors out-of-state for abortion. This was a good Pro-Life policy that I hope the citizens of Amarillo have not given up on yet.
Pro-Prop A billboard (Photo: Mark Lee Dickson)
Citizens throughout Amarillo were heartbroken upon learning of Prop A’s failure.
Longtime Amarillo resident Kim Schraeder shared, “Prop A did not pass… The ones who lost tonight are those in the womb who will suffocate due to mifepristone. The ones whose limbs will be ripped apart from their bodies. The mothers who will suffer mental and emotional pain. The ones who chose along the way not to stand up and fight for them, whatever their reason may be. My heart breaks for them. All will give an account.”
Amarillo resident Bonnie Burnett shared, “I will not pretend this is not a devastating loss. It is. It was a gut punch.” Burnett placed the blame for the loss on community leaders who claim to be pro-life but whose public stances aided the pro-abortion opposition. Burnett’s strongest criticism was for Mayor Stanley, who went on a local Christian radio station, Kingdom Keys, proclaiming, “You can be pro-life and still vote against Prop A.”
Burnett shared, “The Bible is clear on this topic. The shedding of innocent blood is a SIN. We are called as Christians to protect the sanctity of ALL life and put legislation in place to do so.”
Burnett also placed blame on Candy Gibbs, the Executive Director of Hope Choice Pregnancy Centers. On May 28, Hope Choice posted on Facebook, “The petition for the Sanctuary City for the Unborn will be discussed at today’s City Council meeting. If you’ve wondered where Hope Choice stands … follow the link below and tune in LIVE at 3pm!” The pregnancy center’s post was shared by Gibbs, who encouraged her followers to “Tune in live at 3pm!!”
Candy Gibbs, Amarillo Hope Choice PRC director, speaks before City Council (Photo: Mark Lee Dickson)
During her speech before the Amarillo City Council, Gibbs expressed three issues she had with the proposed SCFTU Ordinance. First, Gibbs took issue with the proposed ordinance’s support of Texas’ Alternatives to Abortion (Thriving Texas Families) program and the funds that are distributed to pregnancy centers across the state through organizations like the Texas Pregnancy Care Network. Second, Gibbs took issue with telling people they could not drive others to an abortion facility. And third, Gibbs took issue with the law not exempting parents and grandparents from being sued – if they were to assist in their daughter’s or granddaughter’s abortion.
After her presentation, former Planned Parenthood CEO Claudia Stravato thanked Gibbs for her words before the city council.
The 22-minute presentation by Gibbs was full of misinformation about the Alternatives to Abortion program. What made her presentation even more confusing was the fact that the Texas Heartbeat Act, which Gibbs claimed to support, allows for lawsuits against anyone who aids or abets an illegal abortion – even if the one who is aiding or abetting the illegal abortion is a parent or a grandparent. This caused many to wonder if Gibbs was interested in repealing this part of the Texas Heartbeat Act. This presentation, unfortunately, gained thousands of views throughout the city.
These statements made by Gibbs came after she and the Board of Directors of Hope Choice received a letter from Thomas Glessner, President and Founder of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA). NIFLA represents more than 1,700 pregnancy centers across America, including more than 120 clinics in Texas, including Hope Choice in Amarillo.
The letter from NIFLA, dated May 24, stated, “NIFLA fully supports the proposed Sanctuary City for the Unborn Ordinance which was brought forth by the citizen initiative petition in your city,” and continued:
NIFLA 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.
On May 30, Gibbs appeared to further disregard the warning from NIFLA that the exceptions she mentioned “could have a detrimental effect across the state and the nation” when she shared the video of her speech before city council on Facebook, stating, “If you haven’t had the chance to watch this week’s council meeting regarding the petition for the Sanctuary City for the Unborn, you can watch below to hear my thoughts and my heart.”
This statement was made after Gibbs was approached by several members of the community, attempting to hold Gibbs accountable to standing with the Texas Heartbeat Act, the Alternatives to Abortion program, and the proposed SCFTU Ordinance.
A group of supporters of Prop A hold signs outside the Biocycle/Oncore Technologies Facility in Amarillo, Texas. Had the ordinance passed the companies could not longer treat the remains of dead unborn children, killed by elective abortions, as trash. (Photo: Mark Lee Dickson)
On May 31, Councilman Les Simpson shared Gibbs’ video, stating, “Hope Choice Pregnancy Centers and Mentoring Programs is on the front lines of providing encouragement and practical support to help women make a positive choice. Candy Gibbs, the executive director of Hope Choice, spoke at the May 28 meeting of the Amarillo City Council. I appreciate her comments about supporting women and babies in our community.”
On June 8, three days before the Mayor and City Council were to vote on the ordinance, Caroline Fairly, then-Republican nominee for Texas House, re-shared the video of Gibbs’ testimony on Facebook, writing:
Amidst this sanctuary city discussion, I find Candy’s words incredibly encouraging and inspiring. During my campaign, I emphasized that we cannot allow the pro-life movement to be divided. It took 50 years of unity to overturn Roe v. Wade, and we must maintain that solidarity to continue making progress. I’m praying for wisdom for our city council. I’m thankful for people like Candy Gibbs, who have dedicated the past 29 years to protecting the unborn. Her humble leadership is truly inspiring.
Fairly took this position after she had been reminded that her mentor’s position contradicted the scope of those who could be held accountable under the enforcement mechanism of the Texas Heartbeat Act; misrepresented Texas’ Alternatives to Abortion program; and opposed 20 Texas Senators and Representatives who encouraged the passage of Sanctuary for the Unborn Ordinances prohibiting abortion trafficking in cities and counties throughout the State of Texas.
Burnett called Gibbs’ actions before the city council reckless, stating:
Her endorsement for Prop A would have encouraged our pro-life community in Amarillo to vote in favor of Prop A, which could have secured a win for Prop A. Yet she refused to give her open support and endorsement to a city ordinance that would have saved the lives of thousands of babies.
Burnett claimed Gibbs’ “lack of action” and her “tip-toeing around” this pro-life issue caused “more confusion and division” in their city. Burnett admonished Gibbs for failing to “stand up for life which is literally her job description,” and stated, “This was gross negligence on her part and she completely dropped the ball.”
On November 11, six days after Prop A failed, Candy Gibbs posted Episode 27 of the Candy Gibbs Podcast titled, “Sanctuary City for the Unborn.” During the podcast, Gibbs stated that Hope Choice did not come out publicly in support of the ordinance because Hope Choice does not take political stands. These statements appear to contradict the statement posted to Hope Choice’s Facebook page on May 28 which Gibbs shared the same day. The post read, “If you’ve wondered where Hope Choice stands… follow the link below and tune in LIVE at 3pm!”
Several individuals and churches who have long endorsed Hope Choice are considering cutting funding due to Gibbs’ lack of support for Prop A and her refusal to stand in unity with the statewide and national pro-life movement regarding Texas’ abortion laws.
Despite Prop A’s loss, the effort to end abortion trafficking in Amarillo is far from over. The SCFTU Initiative, Texas Right To Life, Project Destiny Amarillo, and a multitude of other pro-life organizations intend to keep fighting for life in Amarillo and in cities and counties throughout the Panhandle. As stated by Amarillo resident Cassie Greene, “This is our Alamo. We will remember this Alamo and we will keep fighting for life.”
Call on President Trump to pardon the FACE Act prisoners on his first day in office.
