Election Day has arrived and Amarillo residents are casting their final votes on Proposition A – a Sanctuary City for the Unborn (SCFTU) Ordinance that would further prohibit abortion and abortion trafficking in the City of Amarillo.
If a majority of voters cast their ballot FOR Prop A, Amarillo will become the 53rd city in Texas and the 70th city in the nation to pass a SCFTU Ordinance. Amarillo would also become the sixth pro-life ballot victory in Texas since the initiative began, following victories in Lubbock (May 2021) as well as Abilene, San Angelo, Plainview, and Athens (November 2022) and the first local pro-life ballot victory during a presidential election. If a majority votes AGAINST Prop A, Amarillo will become the first city in Texas where voters have rejected an anti-abortion ordinance on a citywide ballot.
The pro-life ordinance, originally brought to Amarillo by resident Jana May (immediate past president, High Plains Republican Women), has received much support from leaders throughout Amarillo including Connie Morgan (president, Project Destiny Amarillo PAC), Cindy Price (president, High Plains Republican Women), Jacob Meyer (president, Amarillo Area Young Republicans), and Alex Deanda (president, Conservatives of Texas, Est. 2019).
On November 4, 2024, the Potter County GOP executive committee unanimously passed a resolution endorsing Proposition A. An email sent to members of the Potter County GOP read:
The resolution, reflecting the 2024 Texas Republican Party Platform’s commitment to the sanctity of life, asserts the importance of protecting unborn lives and strengthening the family unit as the cornerstone of a free society. By endorsing Proposition A, the Potter County GOP emphasizes the need to send a clear message that Amarillo stands against the abortion industry and does not wish to become a hub or pathway for abortion traffickers or providers. Further, we do not want our city landfills or privately owned landfills to be a depository for fetal remains.
Dan Rogers, Potter County GOP chair, shared, “Supporting Proposition A aligns with our principles and the values of our community. We believe this measure reinforces our dedication to the family and respects the dignity of human life.”
The email concluded, “The Potter County GOP urges Amarillo residents to vote in favor of Proposition A during the upcoming election. It encourages all citizens to consider the impact of this decision on the community’s future and moral foundation.”
Area pastors who have vocalized their support of the measure include Pastor Jimmy Witcher (Trinity Fellowship Church), Pastor Manny DeLosSantos (Power Church), Dr. Lee A. Simpson (Faith Clinic Christian Center), Pastor Billy Nickell (First Family Church), Pastor Brian Gibson (His Church), Pastor Travis Bennett (Arena of Life Church), Pastor Aaron Denson (Arden Road Baptist Church), Pastor Joe Kirkwood (Cornerstone Outreach Center), Pastor Spike Maldonado (New Life Church), Pastor Jon Watson (Caprock Baptist Church), Dr. Alberta Helton (Triumphant Truth Church), Pastor Craig Lawlis (Christian Heritage Church), Pastor Efrain Pineda, Jr. (Vida Church), Pastor Bill and Lana Meyerholtz (Miracle Covenant Church), Pastor Tommy Fulgham (Generations Fellowship), Pastor Jeremy Pfeil (Accelerate Church), Pastor David Ramos (Amarillo for Christ Church), Pastor Rick Lopez (Arena Church), Pastor Robert Burton (Yes, Lord), Pastor Stephen Bailey (Pavillard Missionary Baptist Church), Reverend Tony Rodriguez (Final Hope Ministries), Pastor Bob Miller (Crossroads Country Church), Pastor Jerad Middaugh (Southlawn Assembly of God), and Pastor Rickey Pfeil (Kingdom Keys Radio Network).
Prop A is not a measure that has only received local support. The measure has also received support at the state and national levels as well. Live Action Founder and CEO Lila Rose posted on X, “To my friends in Amarillo, TX – On election day vote FOR Prop A, the ‘Sanctuary City for the Unborn’ Ordinance! Prop A would protect children from abortion and stop abortion trafficking across state lines. One of the only life PROTECTING questions before voters this year!”
On Sunday night, a video message from Lila Rose was posted on the Project Destiny Facebook page sharing an equally strong message.
Other pro-life leaders in support of the measure include Dr. John Seago (president, Texas Right to Life), Jonathan Saenz (president, Texas Values), Sheena Rodriguez (president, Alliance for a Safe Texas), Father Frank Pavone (national director, Priests for Life International), John Mize (CEO, Americans United for Life), Troy Newman (president, Operation Rescue), Thomas Glessner (CEO, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates), Bishop Joseph Strickland (bishop emeritus, Diocese of Tyler, Texas), Dr. Karysse J. Hutson (national medical director, Save the Storks; international medical director, Canopy Global Foundation; and associate scholar, Charlotte Lozier Institute), and a host of others.
Both Texas Right to Life’s Texas Pro-Life 2024 Voter Guide and Live Action Victory’s 2024 Voter Guide also encourage Amarillo voters to vote in favor of Prop A.
Amarillo’s ballot measure would close several loopholes in Texas pro-life laws, including the abortion trafficking of pregnant mothers and their unborn children through Amarillo and across state lines, the prohibition of abortion-inducing drugs from being mailed into the city, and the transportation and disposal of the remains of unborn children killed by elective abortions. The last prohibition has captured the attention of many in the community, especially due to local business Biocycle/Oncore Technology LLC having a reputation for picking up aborted human remains from Planned Parenthood surgical centers across America.
Despite the wide support for the measure, there has also been a considerable amount of opposition in Amarillo.
Locally, one of the most vocal voices against the measure has been Claudia Stravato – the former CEO of Planned Parenthood of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle. Stravato has had many allies in her fight to defeat Prop A, including the national Women’s March (whose executive director, Rachel O’Leary Carmona, relocated to Amarillo from Brooklyn, New York), AVOW Texas Unapologetic Abortion Advocacy (formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice Texas), The Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance/Amarillo Freedom PAC, the board of the Potter-Randall County Medical Society, the League of Women Voters of Amarillo, Potter County Democrat Party, the Randall County Democrat Party, and Conservative Patriots 4 Texas (led by David and Beverly Bailey – former co-directors of the True Texas Project in Potter/Randall County).
AVOW Texas has been sending thousands of text messages, mailers, and political advertisements hand-delivered to the doors of Amarillo residents encouraging voters to vote AGAINST Prop A. The statewide organization has been encouraging members of the public to pressure the Amarillo City Council for over a year. In August, Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance/Amarillo Freedom PAC co-founder Lindsay London told the Amarillo Tribune that ARFA has “… rallied support and sought guidance from other organizations” such as the ACLU of Texas, AVOW, Jane’s Due Process, and the TEA Fund to “… understand how to best approach situations” calling them “well-established champions for reproductive rights in Texas.”
On the “About Us” page of their website, AVOW Texas describes themselves as “a c4 non-profit that works to secure unrestricted abortion access for every Texan.” One of their sister groups, Avow Foundation for Abortion Access, is described as “a c3 non-profit that works to educate Texans on the importance of abortion access.” Their other sister group, Avow PAC, is described as “a political action committee that works to elect champions for abortion access.”
Their page states, “Across the nation, abortion rights are under siege. Here in Texas, we face anti-abortion government and extremist policies at every level. These policies are rooted in patriarchy and white supremacy, and are backed by national anti-choice groups who don’t represent Texas values. It’s up to us to stop those policies here in Texas, before they are exported to other states across the country. When we fight and win here, the impact is enormous—a galvanizing victory for abortion rights and the larger fight for justice and equity across the nation. We’re leading this movement and changing the culture with an unapologetic abortion-forward mindset. Through community-building, education, and political advocacy, Avow is securing unrestricted abortion care and reproductive rights for every Texan.”
AVOW Texas, Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance, Amarillo Freedom PAC, and other pro-abortion groups have been highlighting Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley’s statements against the ordinance and using them to turn the citizens of Amarillo against Prop A.
Former State Sen. Wendy Davis, who now serves as senior advisor to Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, has also been an outspoken voice against Prop A. Davis held a fundraiser on October 23 for Amarillo Freedom PAC, where she claimed that the proposition “seeks to literally constrain people’s ability to travel on public roads.”
Texas Right To Life President Dr. John Seago called out Davis and Amarillo Freedom PAC for these statements, noting, “Despite the fact that her statements are clearly false, the Amarillo Freedom PAC shared the video on social media and continues to circulate it to promote their misleading ‘Travel Ban’ narrative.” Videos of Dr. John Seago, Dr. Karysse Hutson, Attorney Jace Yarbrough, and others have been posted on the Project Destiny Amarillo Facebook page attempting to combat the misinformation relating to Prop A.
Davis sees the race in Amarillo as a significant battle for abortion rights in Texas. Davis shared, “If Amarillo, through the work of ARFA (Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance), is able to defeat Proposition A it will send a strong message to other cities across the state and, of course, statewide leaders – that this is not something that will be accepted or tolerated.”
News outlets across America are paying close attention to the outcome of this measure. Ballotpedia News listed Amarillo’s Proposition A and San Francisco’s Proposition O as #4 on their “top 15 ballot measures and trends to watch on election day.” The National Review stated Prop A “has important policy implications in the Lone Star State.” The New Yorker called Prop A “part of a bigger strategic play”, and NOTUS recognized Amarillo could very well be “the most consequential abortion fight of this election cycle.”
Texas Congressman Colin Allred, Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate against Republican Ted Cruz, called the Amarillo mayor and City Council “brave” for rejecting the Sanctuary City for the Unborn Ordinance in June. Only time will tell if the citizens of Amarillo will be praised by Allred for doing the same on November 5.
This is a commentary published with the author’s permission. If you wish to submit a commentary to Texas Scorecard, please submit your article to submission@texasscorecard.com.
