On Tuesday, October 16, the City Council of De Kalb, Texas (pop. 1,769) considered the ‘Ordinance Outlawing Abortion, Declaring De Kalb a Sanctuary City for the Unborn. Mayor Pro-Tem David Meadows presided over the meeting with council members Brenda Smith, Tom Ward, Molly Blackmon, and Bobbie McGee in attendance. Mayor Lowell Walker was on vacation, but believed that it was good timing to consider the measure.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, a total of six people spoke publicly on the measure. Those five who spoke in favor of the measure included: Bowie County Republican Party Chairman Gary Singleton, Red River County Republican Chairman and De Kalb Chamber of Commerce Board member Jim O’Bier, Gravel Hill Baptist Church Pastor Brad Wilhite, and Marjorie Roberts. The only one who spoke in opposition of the measure was Bowie County Citizens Tribune Publisher Kenny Mitchell.
After the presentation by Right to Life Across Texas, Mayor Pro-Tem David Meadows asked if the city council had any questions. With no council member responding, Mayor Pro-Tem Meadows asked his fellow council members if there was a motion to approve the ordinance. The question was met with absolute silence. Again, Mayor Pro-Tem Meadows asked his fellow council members if there was a motion to pass the ordinance. Once again, the question was met with absolute silence. Following the silence, Mayor Pro-Tem Meadows stated, “It appears that this ordinance has not been approved for passage due to lack of a motion.” Had the City Council of De Kalb approved the measure, it would have been the 84th city in the nation and the 67th city in Texas to pass a “Sanctuary City for the Unborn” ordinance. As a result of their vote, they are now the 2nd city in East Texas to have rejected the measure in 2025, joining the City of Leary (pop 605) who rejected the opportunity to pass the measure in September.
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The ordinance would have put into place six provisions: (1) prohibiting performing elective abortions and the aiding or abetting elective abortions within the City of De Kalb, extending the private enforcement mechanism of the Texas Heartbeat Act from detectable heartbeat to the point of conception within the City of De Kalb, (2) prohibiting elective abortions on residents of the City of De Kalb – regardless of where the abortion took place, (3) prohibiting abortion traffickers from trafficking women, including minors, through the City of De Kalb for abortions across state lines,(4) prohibiting abortion-inducing drugs from being mailed into the City of De Kalb, allowing for private lawsuits against abortion pill distributors, (5) prohibiting criminal abortion organizations from doing business inside the City of De Kalb, and (6) prohibiting the transport and disposal of the remains of unborn children killed by an elective abortion by abortion providers outside of the State of Texas from being transported through or disposed of within the City of De Kalb.
The ordinance would have been enforced, not by law enforcement, but by giving private citizens the ability to file a lawsuit against any individual or organization in violation of the ordinance. The cities immediately East of De Kalb: Annona (pop. 288) and Avery (pop. 462) and the cities immediately West of De Kalb, New Boston (pop. 4,686) and Hooks (pop. 2,769), have passed identical measures over the past three months.
The measure was supported by several legislators throughout East Texas, including Texas Senator Bryan Hughes – who represents the City of De Kalb. A letter given to the City of De Kalb, signed by the city’s Senator read, “Currently there are over 50 political subdivisions in Texas which have passed local ordinances prohibiting abortion within their jurisdictions. As elected officials who voted for state legislation allowing these local actions, we are thrilled to see this wave of pro-life action at the local level and hope to see these ordinances continue to spread across our state – even in a post-Roe Texas. While it is true that abortion is outlawed in the entire State of Texas, from the point of conception, our work is far from over. Right now, throughout the State of Texas, women are being trafficked across our borders by abortion traffickers funded by abortion trafficking organizations still operating in our state. As a result, these women are being abused and traumatized by abortion across our Texas–New Mexico border and sent back to Texas for our cities and counties to deal with the aftermath taking place in our homes, our schools, our churches, and our hospitals.”
The letter continued, “The Sanctuary for the Unborn ordinances seek to protect these institutions by putting safeguards in place to protect men, women, and their children for years to come. These ordinances, which seek to close as many loopholes as possible, do not penalize women who seek or undergo abortions, but places the penalty on the party who most deserves it – the abortionist and the industry profiting from the unjust procedure, including abortion traffickers.”
After the vote, Mayor Pro-Tem David Meadows said he was disappointed with the City Council’s decision. Councilwoman Brenda Smith said she believed Texas already had the issue covered and claimed that women had already died due to Texas’ pro-life laws. When Councilman Tom Ward was asked if he was pro-choice, he shared, “I am pro-getting along with everybody.”
Bowie County Republican Party Chair Gary Singleton was shocked at the decision of the De Kalb City Council. Singleton shared, “I was very disappointed in the De Kalb City Council tonight for not even being willing to make a motion to support the rights of the unborn by passing an ordinance making De Kalb a Sanctuary City for the Unborn. Instead of standing with Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Legislature, who have sought to protect the rights of unborn children, the De Kalb City Council rejected the opportunity that their sister cities in Bowie County were glad to embrace.”
The Red River Republican Party Chairman and De Kalb Chamber of Commerce Board member Jim O’Bier was in full agreement with the Bowie County Republican Party Chair. O’Bier shared, “It is very disheartening to have watched the Mayor Pro-Tem call for a motion in favor of becoming a Sanctuary City for the Unborn, and not one council member had enough compassion for an unborn child and their mother to make a motion to protect them. We need help from local government communities to hold the abortion-pill distributors responsible for sending abortion pills across state lines and waste management companies that transport aborted fetal remains into our state making Texas a dumping ground. As a Christian, I find this appalling.”
O’Bier continued, “If you live in De Kalb and consider yourself a Christian, I encourage you to contact your City Council members and tell them how important it is for DeKalb to become a Sanctuary City for the Unborn and attend their next meeting.”
Marjorie Roberts posted online, in disbelief, “We are one of the cities in our area that says, “YES” to our teenagers, “YES” to the taking of unborn children . . . I am guilty of not voting or having voted for Christian Council Members in my city. Not one person stood with God. NOT ONE.” Roberts continued, “I’m speaking today not just as a resident, but as someone who believes leadership must reflect conviction. If our council claims Christian values, then silence on moral issues—especially those involving life and dignity—is not neutrality. It’s abdication. The failure to bring forward a motion regarding abortion access, including the abortion pill or potential clinics, is not just a political omission. It’s a spiritual one. Christianity is not a label—it’s a calling. And those calling demands courage, clarity, and compassion. If our leaders won’t act, then the people must speak. Because De Kalb deserves more than quiet compromise—it deserves moral stewardship.”
The next morning, people online were sharing online about the heartbreaking loss. De Kalb resident Christina Crouch shared, “Y’all it’s time for us to wake up and PAY ATTENTION! Our fine city council REJECTED this ordinance last night. I am just sick over this! How can we be Christian and conservative if our city council WON’T stand up for our most vulnerable?!?! I do NOT think our council represents the majority of its citizens. . . apparently only one member has our same values. I am shocked and appalled that our remaining members sat SILENT. You could hear a pin drop in the room. De Kalb, it’s time to stand up and be the voice for our most vulnerable people. IT’S TIME TO MAKE OUR VOICE COUNT! We are Charlie [Kirk] now!”
Claudia Martin Grams shared, “I am so sad that the town where I grew up would not pass a ‘Sanctuary Town for the Unborn Babies’ and refused life. I guess they have forgotten that God formed the babies in the womb. Jeremiah 1:5 says, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,’ and Psalm 139:13 states, ‘You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb’.”
Samantha Knox, the co-founder of the Turning Point USA’s Texarkana Faith Hub shared, “I don’t know who Tom Ward is in Dekalb but ‘pro-getting along with everyone’ is a spineless excuse. Sad day in Dekalb, Texas!”
The effort to pass a Sanctuary City for the Unborn Ordinance in the City of De Kalb is far from over. From De Kalb, Texas, to Texarkana, Texas to Texarkana, Arkansas, and beyond, those who wish to see their city pass an enforceable ordinance further outlawing abortion within their city limits are encouraged to sign the online petition.
LifeNews Note: Mark Lee Dickson lives in Texas and is the founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn Initiative.
