City of Joaquin adopts ordinance outlawing abortion, emergency contraceptives

JOAQUIN, Texas (KTRE) - Seven East Texas cities have now declared themselves sanctuary cities for the unborn.

This includes the City of Joaquin that sits near the Texas - Louisiana border.

“We followed the City of Waskom, who was the first one to do it and then, Omaha and Naples, we were number 4,” said Mayor Bill Baker, City of Joaquin.

Baker said earlier this month, the council passed an ordinance outlawing abortions within city limits.

"Right now it's just a statement stating that this is how majority of our citizens believe and we wanted to be their voice," Baker said.

The ordinance also bans an emergency contraceptive commonly known as Plan B or the morning after pill from being sold at pharmacies in the city.

"We believe the unborn are most innocent among us they don't have a choice. Do we believe Roe V. Wade is an error? Yes. This is our way of letting Austin know this is how small town along the border feel. We want them to know that we want to protect the unborn," Baker said.

The director of the East Texas Right to Life Organization Mark Lee Dickson who's behind the effort said, "We want to prevent the mass murder of innocent children."

Dickson said he is determined to see the ordinance passed in every Texas town.

“... The former director of Hope Medical Group for Women, the founder over there Robin Rothrock, she passed away in the early ’90s. But she said if abortion to ever shut down in Louisiana, then it would make sense to cross the border to Waskom,” Dickson said.

Many people in the City of Joaquin support the ordinance. On Tuesday night, the City of Gilmer passed a similar law.

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East Texas city declares itself as a sanctuary for the unborn

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