The Pollock town council has passed an ordinance in a 4-1 vote, essentially banning abortion in city limits.
“We want to say that we will never allow abortion in the town of Pollock. Not now, not ever. Innocent blood will not be shed on our soil,” said Brian Gunter, pastor of First Baptist Church of Pollock.
Although Pollock is the first city in Louisiana to pass such an ordinance, Louisiana is the 46th state in the nation to do so.
Unlike a resolution, an ordinance is enforceable.
“Abortion facilities cannot set up shop here in this city and murder innocent children born in the image of God. Can’t do that,” said Mark Lee Dickson, founder of the Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn initiative. “The abortion pill cannot be sent into the town of Pollock either. It’s against the law. Just like you can’t have ammo shipped into New Orleans, you can’t have the abortion pill shipped into Pollock.”
Although Pollock does not have an abortion clinic within city limits, it will also be illegal to provide for an abortion in other ways, like providing transportation to a facility, giving a pregnant woman money to facilitate an abortion or giving referrals to an abortion provider. The ordinance does not, however, outlaw birth control or oral contraceptives, like the morning-after pill.
For the time being, the government entity of Pollock cannot enforce the ordinance until Roe v. Wade is overturned or a declaratory judgment of a state or federal court allows them to do so. If that happens, anyone who violates the ordinance will be fined $500 and imprisoned for 60 days.
However, there is an avenue for immediate enforcement, which would make the ordinance go into effect, at least in part. This is the avenue of citizen enforcement. It outlaws providing insurance coverage for abortion and allows for private citizens to bring civil lawsuits against a person or entity committing, intending to commit or assisting in the committing of abortion.
https://www.kalb.com/2022/03/25/pollock-becomes-states-first-sanctuary-city-unborn/