Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the pro-life sanctuary-city ordinance passed by voters in Lubbock, Texas — the latest twist in the community battle over a recently opened abortion clinic.
The lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas and the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas seeks to halt the ordinance approved in the May 1 vote with 62% support, which would bar abortions at the Planned Parenthood health center that opened in October.
Ken Lambrecht, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, said the clinic expanded its services this year to include abortion.
“Lubbock’s controversial new ordinance violates our patients’ constitutional right to access abortion and we are expecting the court to stop this unlawful ordinance,” Mr. Lambrecht said in a statement. “Planned Parenthood is proud to provide high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care to hundreds of patients in Lubbock since opening our health center last year.”
In a statement, the city said it would “vigorously defend this ordinance.”
“This ordinance was enacted by the voters of Lubbock through the Charter petition process and the Lubbock City Council certified the election results on May 11, 2021,” the statement said. “The City will vigorously defend this ordinance and looks forward to presenting that defense in court.”
The city of Lubbock, TX thinks it can ban abortion and defy nearly 50 years of Supreme Court precedent. They’re wrong — and we’ll see them in court. pic.twitter.com/10gMoGtX4O
— Planned Parenthood (@PPFA) May 18, 2021
So far, 26 towns — 24 in Texas, two in Nebraska — have declared themselves sanctuary cities for the unborn and banned abortions within their city limits, but Lubbock is by far the largest and the only one with an abortion clinic within its limits.
Planned Parenthood closed its Lubbock clinic in 2013 over a Texas law that tightened rules on abortion providers, and then reopened despite community opposition.
Pro-life groups lined up in support of the ordinance passed in Lubbock, which has a population of 264,000.
“Planned Parenthood is so paranoid that someone will plan to be a parent that they’ll take the city of Lubbock to court to prevent an abortion-free environment,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America. “It’s like they forgot the second word in their name: Parenthood.”
ACLU of Texas legal director Andre Segura said the Planned Parenthood center in Lubbock was the “nearest clinic within hundreds of miles.”
“Anti-abortion advocates have been crisscrossing the state, pressuring municipalities to pass these unconstitutional and malicious anti-abortion ordinances for many months,” Mr. Segura said. “These ordinances stigmatize abortion care, hurt those who provide it, and shame the people who need access to it.”
The sanctuary city for the unborn movement was launched by Mark Lee Dickson, director of Right to Life for East Texas.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.