Wallace to vote on ordinance making village sanctuary city for the unborn

By Becky Uehling

Grant Tribune-Sentinel

Like its neighbor Hayes Center to the south, the Village of Wallace is seeking to outlaw abortion within its village limits. The resolution to create the ordinance to do so will be on the November 8 ballot, according to Mary May, village clerk.

Originally initiated by Jim Smith of Wallace, the issue to make Wallace a Sanctuary City for the Unborn was brought before the village board several months ago. However, the board decided to put the question before the people of the town during the election. 

Smith, along with other supporters of the effort, were able to garner enough signatures through a petition to put the issue on the ballot, May said. 

The resolution required approximately 15% of Wallace’s voters to allow the proposed ordinance to move to a vote. There are 191 registered voters in Wallace, and 42 signed the petition, May said. 

If passed, the ordinance will outlaw abortion in the Village of Wallace. This includes abortifacients, or any substance that induces abortion, such as pills, May said. 

Following A Trend

In 2021, Hayes Center became the 24th city in the nation, and the first city in Nebraska, to pass an ordinance outlawing abortion within their city limits. The vote by the village of Hayes Center Board of Trustees was a unanimous 5-0 vote. 

Hayes Center got the idea to make their village a sanctuary from the organization Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn based in Texas. 

The founder of the organization, Mark Lee Dickson, actually traveled to Hayes Center from Texas to help the village to draft its ordinance.

At the time of the ordinance’s passing, Dickson predicted that more communities in Nebraska would follow Hayes Center’s lead, and he was right. If the resolution creating the ordinance passes, Wallace will be the fourth in Nebraska to do so, according to the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn. The other three are Blue Hill, Stapleton and Hayes Center. The majority of the santuary cities for the unborn are located in Texas.

Those wanting more information on the organizaion Santuary Cities for the Unborn, can access their website at https://sanctuarycitiesfortheunborn.org/