"GRACE" Act Crushed at Waco City Council on Aug. 2, 2022
(Guarding the Right to Abortion Care for Everyone​)

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       Links to news stories
           and commentary.

See video of Councilwoman Palmer appealing to the council to take up the GRACE ACT. Click me.

Waco television news outlets, including KXXV News 25, jump on the bandwagon after Councilwomen Kelly Palmer proposes a GRACE Act at Waco City Council Meeting July 19.
KXXV (ABC) on July 20, 2022. A GRACE Act for Waco?  Click me.

Waco Tribune-Herald, July 31, 2022. “Waco to Weigh Local Grace Act”. Waco Trib jumps on board the narrative that Waco city council may vote to suppress police enforcement of Texas abortion bans.  Click me.

This is an awful editorial in the Waco Tribune-Herald by a Baylor Religion professor and ordained Baptist minister. "City Divided over GRACE Act." July 24, 2022. Professor Blake Burleson.  Click me.
 
Letter to the Editor battle in the Waco Tribune-Herald. 5 letters from the anti-abortion side opposing the GRACE Act.  Click me.

Letter to the Editor battle in the Waco Tribune-Herald. 4 letters from the pro-abortion side supporting the GRACE Act.  Click me.

Article about Council meeting of August 2 by Waco conservative journalist Donna Garner “Waco City Council Meeting, I Was There." Donna Garner. Donna played a big role in urging the big turn out.  
Click me.
 
"25 bullet points about the Battle of Waco City Council." Key takeaways regarding Council meeting of August 2 by Pro-Life Waco’s John Pisciotta. A lot of info and insight.  Click me.
 
 “Cities Across U.S. Pass Resolutions Deprioritizing Prosecuting Illegal Abortions.” Carole Novielli. Article in Live Action News on how what happened in Waco can be a model and encouragement to other cities in Texas and other states with abortion bans.  Click me.
 
KWTX (CBS) on August 2 Waco City Council Meeting.  Click me.

KXXV (ABC) on August 2 Waco City Council Meeting.  Click me.

Waco Tribune-Herald, “Mayor questions city’s role on abortion”. Mayor Dillon Meeks clearly implies that the GRACE Act will not come up for a vote before the Waco City Council.  Click me.

Full video of Waco City Council Meeting of August 2, 2022.  The over two hours of GRACE Act testimony begins at the 1 hour 14-minute mark of the video.  ​
Click me.

40+ speak out against a GRACE Act for Waco

         The sacrilegiously named GRACE Act had been passed in Austin and Denton and was on the verge of passing in Dallas. However, the pro-life community of Central Texas turned out in force and achieved an "early abortion" of the GRACE Act at the Waco City Council meeting on August 2.   
       The GRACE Act controversy erupted following the initiatives coming from City Councilwoman Kelly Palmer (District 4). Palmer organized five abortion supporters the open comment portion of the council meeting. Each urged a Waco stand down on enforcement of Texas bans on abortion. Then, when given the opportunity to propose a future agenda item, Ms. Palmer tied to push the ball down the field with, "My suggestion is to add an item that would mirror the Grace Act passed in Austin and Denton that seeks to deprioritize the criminalization of   abortion. I recognize this is breaking with precedent. However, as one of the persons on this stage with a uterus and of child-bearing age, I am heartbroken by the repeal of Roe v Wade. This will proportionately impact low-income people, people of color, and queer people, so many of whom are my residents." See video of Councilwoman Palmer making her appeal.
Click me.
       What would a GRACE Act do?  If adopted, the ordinance would have suppressed Waco Police Department enforcement of Texas abortion bans. The act would order Waco police to give abortion law enforcement the lowest possible priority (deprioritize) and would deny funding for enforcement. Planned Parenthood has committed abortions in Waco since 1994. 
​       At the July 19 meeting, council member Kelly Palmer (District 4) called for consideration of an ordinance that would stop Waco PD enforcement of Texas abortion laws, such as the Texas Trigger Ban. Kelly Palmer is an adjunct faculty member with the Baylor School of Social Work.
     The trial balloon popped loudly when the largest crowd in Waco City Council history swarmed in. 500 attended. The ratio was 4:1 pro-life. There were 44 short and powerful statement opposing the GRACE Act. Eight Central Texas residents spoke in favor of the GRACE Act. An estimate 25 citizens who signed on to speak were not present when their names were called. At the outset of testimonies (8 PM), Mayor Dillon Meek proclaimed, "We have more speaker cards tonight than at any meeting since I've been on the council."
       Pro-Life Waco initiated a movement for attendance and speaking at the August 2 city council meeting to nip this very bad idea in the bud. Letters to the Waco newspaper and email to city council members were also encouraged. A dynamic pro-life alliance quickly developed. This included McLennan County Republican Women, internet journalist Donna Garner, Pastor Ronnie Holmes, Pastor Ramiro Peña, Dr. Bradford Holland Chair of the McLennan County Republican Party, and pro-life activist Jon Ker.
       In the end, it was obvious that all but one council member realized that putting the GRACE Act on the council agenda would be bad for Waco and bad for the member’s prospects for re-election.
 
         2 Corinthians 5:20 proclaims
         We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ,
         as though God were making his appeal through us.
 
On August 2, pro-life Central Texans appealed on behalf of Christ for preborn babies and their moms. Thank you, Lord, for richly blessing our efforts for love and justice.
       I believe Waco pro-lifers totally crushed the GRACE Act and we were a strong example for other cities in Texas, and beyond, on how to respond to potential mischief coming out of city councils.

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GRACE ACT eruption

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​Slide show of the pro-life overflow room at the Waco Convention Center. KWTX estimated pro-life participation at 400. 

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Less than a hundred present from the pro-abortion side, with green as their color of choice.

Facebook Live videos below 
​(2-3 minutes each)

​Gathering in foyer to sign up to speak and visit. Click me.

Verbal & pushing skirmish between a pro-life pastor and an unhinged abortion supporter. Click me.
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Convention Center room for pro-life attendees--approximately 400 for the that lasted to 10:30 PM. Click me.
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3 minutes. Lynn Rasberry of Waco on her own abortion and counseling mothers considering abortion. 
Click me.

3 minutes. Lisa Muller Muñoz of
New Jersey on the contradiction of fighting human trafficking while defending abortion. Click me.

3 minutes. Rev. Ramiro Peña of Christ the King Baptist Church speaks on the awful precedents a GRACE Act would bring. Click me.