Scurry County, Texas Becomes 24th County in America to Ban Abortion

On Tuesday, July 21st, the Commissioners’ Court of Scurry County, Texas (pop. 16,932) considered an ordinance “Outlawing Abortion Within the Unincorporated Area of Scurry County, Declaring Scurry County a Sanctuary County for the Unborn.” After a presentation from Right to Life Across Texas, the measure was adopted in a unanimous 4-0 vote by County Judge Dan Hicks and Commissioners Terry Williams, Doug Scott, and Shawn McCowen. Commissioner Jeff Mitchell was not in attendance for the vote.

When making the motion to adopt the measure, Commissioner Shawn McCowen stated, “This is a no-brainer. I don’t even know why we are discussing it.” Commissioner Terry Williams, who seconded the motion, agreed. In adopting the measure, Scurry County became the 24th county in the nation and the 22nd county in Texas to pass a Sanctuary County for the Unborn Ordinance. Scurry County follows the Texas counties of Mitchell, Goliad, Cochran, Lubbock, Dawson, Jack, Shackelford, Camp, Shelby, Hopkins, Dickens, Howard, Motley, Crosby, Borden, Hall, Hood, King, Sterling, Lynn, and Collingsworth. Scurry County is the 8th county and the 15th political subdivision to pass such a measure in 2026.

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

The Scurry County Sanctuary County for the Unborn Ordinance is enforced the same way the Texas Heartbeat Act is enforced, through a private enforcement mechanism. This means that the law is not enforced by local law enforcement, but by private citizens filing a lawsuit against bad actors, such as: an abortionist who intends to perform an abortion on a resident of the unincorporated area of Scurry County, a company that mails abortion-inducing drugs to any household in the unincorporated area of Scurry County, abortion trafficking organizations seeking to take minors across state lines for abortions without parental consent, or waste management companies transporting dead unborn babies from abortion facilities across state lines through the county for disposal in Texas landfills. While the ordinance allows for lawsuits to be filed against any of these bad actors for violating the ordinance, the ordinance is clear that no action may be taken against the pregnant woman who intends or seeks to abort her unborn child.

In addition to providing protections for pregnant mothers and their unborn children, the ordinance also educates members of the community on the Thriving Texas Families Program and the resources that can be obtained through centers listed on the Texas Pregnancy Care Network website at www.texaspregnancy.org and The Pregnancy Network website operated by Human Coalition at www.thepregnancynetwork.clinic.

Scurry County received a letter from Attorney Jonathan F. Mitchell, committing to represent Scurry County at no cost to the city or taxpayers for any litigation that may arise from the passage of their ordinance further outlawing abortion and abortion trafficking.

Scurry County Republican Chairman Zachary Gafford, who spoke in favor of the meeting, was encouraged by the passage of the measure. Gafford shared, “Scurry County has taken a principled stand for life. I am grateful to our commissioners for their courage in passing this ordinance and for listening to the will of the people they serve. Scurry County joins a growing number of counties that have taken this step to close the gaps in protecting life by stopping abortion trafficking. This is what it looks like when local government serves its people — born and unborn.”

Scurry County is a conservative county where 86.44% (4,945) of voters cast their ballot for Republican candidate Donald J. Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Democrat candidate Kamala Harris received only 12.83% (734) of the vote. When given the opportunity, the majority of Republican voters in their county have voted for life. During the 2018 Republican Party Primary, voters had the opportunity to vote on Proposition #7. This proposition gave voters the chance to voice their opinion if they were “In Favor” or “Against” the following statement: “I believe abortion should be abolished in Texas.” In Scurry County, out of 1,983 votes, 72.26% (1,433) voted in favor of the pro-life proposition while 27.74% (550) voted against the pro-life proposition. During the 2022 Republican Party Primary, Republican voters had the opportunity to vote on proposition #5.

This proposition gave voters the chance to voice their opinion if they were “For” or “Against” the following statement: “Texas should enact a state constitutional amendment to defend the sanctity of innocent human life, created in the image of God, from fertilization until natural death.” The percentage of the pro-life vote was even greater in Scurry County than two years prior. In Scurry County, out of 1,810 votes, 91.10% (1,649) voted in favor of the pro-life proposition while 8.90% (161) voted against the pro-life proposition. Lastly, during the 2026 Republican Party Primary, voters had the opportunity to vote on two pro-life propositions. Proposition #4 stated, “Texas should require its public schools to teach that life begins at fertilization.”  In Scurry County, out of 2,093 votes, 88.44% (1,851) voted in favor of the pro-life proposition, while 11.56% (242) voted against the pro-life proposition. Proposition #5 stated, “Texas should ban gender, sexuality, and reproductive clinics and services in K-12 schools.”  Out of 2,084 votes, 90.55% (1,887) voted in favor of the pro-life proposition, while 9.45% (197) voted against the pro-life proposition.

While the Republican supermajority in Scurry County is staunchly pro-life, the Democratic minority in Scurry County is staunchly pro-choice. In the 2020 Democratic Party Primary, Democrat voters had the opportunity to vote on Proposition #1. This proposition gave voters the chance to state “Yes” or “No” to the following question: “Right to Healthcare: Should everyone in Texas have a right to quality healthcare, protected by a universally accessible Medicare-style system that saves rural hospitals, reduces the cost of prescription drugs, and guarantees access to reproductive healthcare?” In Scurry County, out of 236 votes, 94.92% (224) voted in favor of the pro-abortion proposition, while 5.08% (12) voted against the pro-abortion proposition.

In the 2026 Democratic Party Primary, voters had the opportunity to vote on Proposition #3. This proposition gave voters the chance to voice their opinion “Yes” or “No” on the following statement: “Texans should have the right to make their own healthcare decisions, including reproductive rights.”  Out of 138 votes, 98.55% (136) voted in favor of the pro-abortion proposition, while 1.45% (2) voted against.

The only other political subdivision in Scurry County that could adopt a Sanctuary for the Unborn ordinance is the City of Snyder (pop. 11,251) – the county seat of Scurry County. A citizen initiative petition is currently being circulated throughout the City of Snyder to advance the measure within the incorporated area of the city – which is not covered by the county ordinance that covers the unincorporated area of the county.

Residents in cities and counties across the nation who are interested in seeing their local government pass an enforceable ordinance are encouraged to sign the online petition from the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative.

LifeNews Note: Mark Lee Dickson lives in Texas and is the founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative.