Nearly all incorporated cities in Leon County have passed similar ordinances, including Centerville, Leona, Jewett, and Marquez.
The "Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn" initiative has evolved substantially to present Abilene with one of the strictest ordinances yet.
The ordinance that passed is broader and more substantial than the proposal the council rejected two years ago.
State politicians Rep. Dustin Burrows and Sen. Charles Perry both encouraged passage of the ban. Burrows spoke at the meeting.
The proposed ordinance is no longer in the council’s hands at this point. The citizens of San Angelo will pass or reject it at the ballot box.
If enough of the signatures are certified, the process will require the Abilene City Council to consider the local abortion ban.
Citizens supporting a local abortion ban say San Angelo leaders decided the proposal's fate before the outward political process began.
Over the protests of residents that led the petition effort, the San Angelo City Council effectively set the vote for November, not May.
Insiders say Abilene's city attorney has cautioned the mayor about the proposed ban, a common trend among even the reddest Texas towns.
The activist behind the initiative says it's common for city leaders in Republican areas to avoid the proposal.
While challenges to the Texas Heartbeat Act continue in state and federal court, local towns are outlawing abortion one at a time.
The court also dismissed the Biden administration's lawsuit against Texas over SB 8 by a nearly unanimous decision.
