A move to make Manhattan, Montana a “sanctuary city for the unborn” was met with resistance at a town council meeting last week.
The ordinance sought to allow residents to sue those who receive abortion pills by mail.
In a split vote with Mayor Glen Clements’ opposing vote breaking the tie, the Manhattan town council voted 3-2 not to pursue creating an official draft ordinance that would declare the town a sanctuary for the unborn.
The Texas-based group Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn provided Manhattan with the sample ordinance. The group’s leader, Mark Lee Dickson, presented at the meeting Thursday.
Dickson explained that the ordinance is not an explicit abortion ban, but rather requires compliance with a federal law originally passed in 1873.
“The way this ordinance is crafted is in such a way that the government does not enforce penalties here all that is done here is the creation of a private clause of action, which allows the citizens of the community to file a lawsuit against anyone who violates 18 USC 1461," he said.
The ordinance says that a violation would mean “it shall be unlawful for any person to” use the mail for “any article, instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing which is advertised or described in a manner calculated to lead another to use or apply it for producing abortion.”
Town Councilman Josh Powell put the item on the agenda for discussion.
“I would argue tonight if the people of Manhattan do not stand up to protect life we may miss our opportunity," he said. "There is far too much innocent blood being shed on our nation’s soil."
About a half dozen people agreed with Powell. Some called abortion murder, and others said they wanted to protect life.
More than 20 people testified in opposition. Many expressed concern over the cost of future litigation and directed the town council to focus instead on other issues like infrastructure and housing.
“This is a waste of our funds. This is a waste of our energy,” said Lindsay Schack, who is the vice president of Manhattan’s Planning Board.
“You’re riling everybody up. I have to stand here in front of all of my neighbors and take a position on this," she said. "You’re baiting us.
"It’s unfair. It is un-community driven."
According to Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn, 65 other cities, mostly in Texas and some more recently in New Mexico, have adopted ordinances restricting access to abortion at the city level.
The group posted on Facebook that members are traveling through Montana trying to get towns here on board.
