The Amarillo City Council is expected to reconsider an abortion travel ban after supporters gathered 10,000 signatures from voters. If the council does not act, voters may have the final say in November.— a weekly dispatch about the people, places and policies defining Texas, produced by Texas Tribune journalists living in communities across the state.
In an interview with The Texas Tribune, Mayor Cole Stanley said Amarillo has become a trophy for people on both sides of the issue. The original ordinance supporters are pushing would not punish the pregnant woman seeking an abortion. But anyone who “aids and abet” the procedure could face a private lawsuit from other citizens. This is the only enforcement mechanism for the ordinance, creating a system for neighbors to turn on each other to collect reward money. Some council members voiced their dislike of the idea in previous meetings.
Stanley said he hopes the council can propose their version of the ordinance, and supporters of the ban would agree and withdraw their petition. This would stop the debate before it goes to the polls.