Plains, Texas Considers Ordinance Outlawing Abortion Trafficking
On Thursday, October 16, 2026, the City Council of Plains, Texas (pop. 1,318) considered at length an ordinance further outlawing abortion and abortion trafficking and declaring the City of Plains a Sanctuary City for the Unborn. Vicki Bayer, librarian at the Yoakum County Library, spoke in opposition to the measure during public comments and after Right to Life Across Texas presented the ordinance and detailed documents explaining the pro-life measure.
When Mayor Rodney Guetersloh asked for a motion, Mayor Pro-Tem Steven Lopez moved to table the ordinance for one month to further educate the community about the pro-life measure. Councilman Justin Esty seconded the motion, expressing a desire to vote at the next council meeting when Councilman Jaime Williamson — who was absent — would be present. The vote to table the ordinance for one month passed unanimously, 4-0, with Councilmembers Cynthia Thomason and Karen Marks joining Lopez and Esty.
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The Plains City Council will reconsider the measure on Monday, November 9.
Upon hearing about the vote, Plains native Bradley Palmer II shared, “Plains will always be home to me. Although I no longer live there, the people, principles, and values that shaped my life remain deeply rooted within me. I firmly believe that every human life – especially the most vulnerable and innocent, the unborn – deserves dignity, compassion, and protection.” Palmer continued, “This is an issue that matters deeply to me, and I appreciate the opportunity for the people of Plains and their elected leaders to have a thoughtful discussion about the proposed Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance.” Palmer concluded, “I have full faith that the sitting City Council will act on behalf of those who do not have a voice, so that one day, they may.”
If adopted Plains Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance will: (1) Prohibit elective abortions and the aiding or abetting of elective abortions within the City of Plains by extending the private enforcement mechanism of the Texas Heartbeat Act from the point of detectable heartbeat to the point of fertilization; (2) Prohibit elective abortions on residents of the City of Plains – regardless of where the abortion takes place – allowing private lawsuits to be filed against out-of-state abortionists, abortion facilities, and those who aid them; (3) Prohibit abortion traffickers and abortion trafficking organizations from trafficking women, including minors, through the City of Plains for abortions across state lines, allowing for lawsuits against in-state abortion trafficking organizations and individual abortion traffickers; (4) Prohibit abortion-inducing drugs from being mailed into the City of Plains by allowing for lawsuits as an additional deterrent against out-of-state abortion pill distributors; (5) Recognize any organization involved in the mailing and receiving of abortion inducing drugs and abortion paraphernalia as criminal abortion organizations in violation of the federal Comstock Act and prohibit such organizations from doing business within the City of Plains and allowing for private civil suits against such entities; and (6) Prohibit Texas waste management companies from transporting through the City of Plains the remains of dead babies that have been aborted at abortion facilities outside the State of Texas and brought back into Texas for disposal as trash in landfills, allowing citizens to file private civil actions against any Texas waste management company violating the ordinance.
In August 2023, 20 Texas Senators and Representatives penned a letter supporting cities and counties in passing similar measures statewide. The letter read: “While it is true that abortion is outlawed in the entire State of Texas, from the point of conception, our work is far from over. Right now, throughout the State of Texas, women are being trafficked across our borders by abortion traffickers funded by abortion trafficking organizations still operating in our state. As a result, these women are being abused and traumatized by abortion across our Texas–New Mexico border and sent back to Texas for our cities and counties to deal with the aftermath taking place in our homes, our schools, our churches, and our hospitals. The Sanctuary for the Unborn ordinances seek to protect these institutions by putting safeguards in place to protect men, women, and their children for years to come. These ordinances, which seek to close as many loopholes as possible, do not penalize women who seek or undergo abortions, but place the penalty on the party who most deserves it – the abortionist and the industry profiting from the unjust procedure, including abortion traffickers.”
Many cities nearby Plains have already adopted Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinances outlawing abortion, including: Denver City (pop. 4,911), Sundown (pop. 1,397), Whiteface (pop. 449), Brownfield (pop. 9,976), Wellman (pop. 205), Morton (pop. 1,608), Levelland (pop. 14,582), Wolfforth (pop. 10,460), Shallowater (pop. 2,613), and Lubbock (pop. 266,878).
Since August 2023, over 50 political subdivisions have passed ordinances identical in substance to the proposed Plains Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance. If the Plains City Council adopts the measure, the city will join over 100 cities across the United States, and over 80 cities in Texas, that have outlawed abortion.
Citizens wanting to see their city or county pass an ordinance to further protect pregnant mothers and their unborn children from the tragedy of abortion are encouraged to sign theonline petition.
LifeNews Note: Mark Lee Dickson lives in Texas and is the founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative.
