Petition - Initiative Sanctuary City for the Unborn

The Office of the City Secretary has completed the verification process of the Citizen Initiative Petition Declaring Lubbock a Sanctuary City for the Unborn. The petition is valid. It contains in excess of the required amount of valid signatures.

A quick chronology of the events leading up to today:

• On September 25, 2020 – A committee filed an Initiative to outlaw abortion within the City of Lubbock, declaring Lubbock a sanctuary city for the unborn. Members of the Initiating Committee are Senator Charles Perry, Dorothy Boyett, Katherine Cochran, Sandy Cisneros, Skyler Wachsmann, Mitchell Cochran, and Erin Agee. At least five (5) of the members must be qualified voters of the City of Lubbock.This triggered the 60 days to file a petition
• On October 13, 2020 at 3:55 p.m. – The petition was filed with the City Secretary, and contained 5,780 signatures. The requirement, for this initiative, is 3,651 valid signatures.
• October 26, 2020 - - In accordance with the City of Lubbock Charter, Chapter 1, Article 4, Section I – “Initiative & Referendum”, and all relevant state laws, the Office of the City Secretary has completed the verification process. 5,780 signatures were submitted; 5,109 were reviewed; 583 were disqualified; and 4,526 signatures were validated as “qualified”.  The petition is valid, and is certified as such. 
• November 2, 2020 – A resolution and certification of the petition will be presented to the Lubbock City Council. This is for the purpose of the City Council receiving all papers pertaining to the petition and proposed ordinance, and receiving a certificate attesting to the results of the petition verification. The initiating committee was notified of the validity of the petition.
• In addition, a written letter will go out in the mail today, to each committee member for the purpose of providing notice of the results and notice of the above item on the November 2, 2020 City Council meeting.

Next Steps

• Lubbock City Council will have 30 days, from November 2, 2020, to hold a public hearing and to take final action by either adopting or rejecting the ordinance thus initiated by the petition. 
• The City Council may consider setting the public hearing at the November 2, 2020Council meeting.