This Texas County Just Became 22nd in the Nation to Ban Abortions

On Monday, April 13th, the Commissioners’ Court of Lynn County, Texas (pop. 5,596) considered an ordinance “Outlawing Abortion Within the Unincorporated Area of Lynn County, Declaring Lynn County a Sanctuary County for the Unborn.” After a presentation from Right to Life Across Texas, the measure was adopted in a unanimous 5-0 vote by County Judge Mike Braddock, Matt Woodley, John Hawthorne, Tate Gass, and Larry Durham. In adopting the measure, Lynn County became the 22nd county in the nation and the 20th county in Texas to pass a Sanctuary County for the Unborn Ordinance. Lynn County follows the Texas counties of: Mitchell, Goliad, Cochran, Lubbock, Dawson, Jack, Shackelford, Camp, Shelby, Hopkins, Dickens, Howard, Motley, Crosby, Borden, Hall, Hood, King, and Sterling. Lynn County is the 6th county and the 10th political subdivision to pass such a measure in 2026.

The Lynn 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 Lynn County, (2) elective abortions on residents of the unincorporated area of Lynn County – regardless of where the abortion takes place, (3) abortion trafficking through the unincorporated area of Lynn County, (4) the mailing of abortion-inducing drugs into the unincorporated area of Lynn County, (5) criminal organizations from doing business inside the unincorporated area of Lynn 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 Lynn County.

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The Lynn 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 Lynn County, a company that mails abortion-inducing drugs to any household in the unincorporated area of Lynn 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.

Lynn County received a letter from Attorney Jonathan F. Mitchell, committing to represent Lynn 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.

Lynn County is a conservative county where 84.73% (2,175) of voters cast their ballot for Republican candidate Donald J. Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Democrat candidate Kamala Harris received only 14.45% (371) 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 Lynn County, out of 957 votes, 70.22% (672) voted in favor of the pro-life proposition, while 29.78% (285) voted against. During the 2022 Republican Party Primary, voters had the opportunity to vote on proposition #5. This proposition gave voters the chance to voice their opinion if they were “In Favor” 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.”

In Lynn County, out of 686 votes, 89.65% (615) voted in favor of the pro-life proposition, while 10.35% (71) voted against. 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 Lynn County, out of 777 votes, 90.60% (704) voted in favor of the pro-life proposition, while 9.40% (73) voted against. Proposition #5 stated, “Texas should ban gender, sexuality, and reproductive clinics and services in K-12 schools.” Out of 792 votes, 93.18% (738) voted in favor of the pro-life proposition, while 6.82% (54) voted against.

While the Republican supermajority in Lynn County is staunchly pro-life, the Democratic minority in Lynn County is staunchly pro-choice. 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.

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.

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