On Election Day in the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo residents rejected an anti-abortion ordinance that included a travel ban and speech restrictions by an almost 20-point margin.
At the same time, the area voted overwhelmingly for anti-abortion candidates President-elect Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
So, how did Amarillo become the first Texas city to reject an anti-abortion ordinance placed on a citywide ballot?
For the Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance, it was the result of 16 months of organizing. The group, which was founded in opposition of the ordinance, canvassed door-to-door, operated phone banks, held community events and ran an extensive social media campaign.
“I truly did believe in community,” said Fariha Samad, an Amarillo resident and group member. “All of the conversations and all of the work that we put into organizing against the ordinance made me feel that we had a very good chance of beating this.”
Samad said there was bipartisan opposition to the ordinance, including Republicans, Trump supporters and people who identified as anti-abortion.
“We have a conservative City Council and our district definitely is very red,” Samad said. “But we found that people do understand that abortion is not just pro-life or pro-choice, that the need exists regardless of what your personal beliefs are, that abortion care is necessary in health care.”
The proposed ordinance included statutes outlawing abortions for Amarillo residents regardless of where the procedure occurs, instating an abortion travel ban and criminalizing the unauthorized possession of drugs that can be used to terminate a pregnancy.
Under these policies, it would be illegal to provide insurance coverage for an abortion, refer a person to an abortion provider, share information about the procedure, donate to or volunteer for an abortion fund and more.
The ordinance was championed by Mark Lee Dickson, a Longview resident and founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative. He has traveled across the state on a campaign to pass anti-abortion legislation and worked closely with a committee of 11 Amarillo residents who initiated an ordinance petition in December 2023.
Both citizens and city officials raised concerns over the policy’s legality regarding freedom of speech, association and interstate travel. This includes Mayor Cole Stanley, who said sections of the proposed ordinance are “unenforceable,” “uninvestigateable” and will “get us sued.”
Local doctors spoke publicly about how the ordinance could worsen local health care and scare away medical professionals.
On June 11, the self-described “pro-life” Amarillo City Council voted 4-1 to reject the ordinance. The citizens committee submitted an election request soon after, sending the matter to voters.
Samad said the Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance encountered many residents who believed abortion should be illegal in Texas, but did not support the ordinance.
“That was a common thing that we heard, ‘I might be pro-life, but this ordinance goes too far. They can’t restrict our ability to travel, our ability to give advice, our ability to care for one another,’” Samad said.
Ordinance supporter Mark Lee Dickson told the Texas Tribune that the fight in Amarillo is “far from over.”
To LoneStarLive.com, Samad said she doesn’t believe he would be successful “anytime soon,” considering the City Council’s opposition. Amarillo’s city charter also bars the ballot initiative from happening again for three years.
“It’s very likely that they will still try to attack communities in the Panhandle because of how bitter of a blow this feels to that small fringe group of anti-abortion activists, but we’re prepared and we’re ready to enable other communities to fight back,” Samad said.
Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance will continue to operate in the community. The organization is ready to support a new women’s health clinic opening in the area next year.
“I think this is really just the beginning of what’s possible here in the Panhandle,” Samad said.