This November, the registered voters in one Texas city along the Texas-New Mexico border will be casting their ballots on whether or not to adopt an ordinance outlawing trafficking. The citywide vote follows the Seminole City Council’s failure to approve the measure on Monday, August 10th. The ordinance would have further protected pregnant mothers and their unborn children from the violence of abortion committed by out-of-state abortion facilities and aided and abetted by in-state abortion trafficking organizations.
Seminole City Council’s consideration of the ordinance was the result of a successful citizen initiative petition allowed for by the Seminole City Charter. A total of 576 signatures from verified registered voters of the City of Seminole were needed for the citizen initiative to succeed. Of the 1,551 signatures submitted to the City of Seminole, the requirement was met and exceeded. Despite the community support and the in-depth educational resources provided to the council regarding the measure, Councilman Lloyd Glass moved “not to approve” the measure, with Councilman Landon Sims seconding the motion. Upon a full vote of the city council, Mayor Chet Clark, Mayor Pro-Tem Rey Saldana, and Councilmembers Lloyd Glass, Whitney Concotelli, Blair Tharp, Landon Sims, and Joe Stewart all voted against the pro-life ordinance.
Seminole is the county seat of Gaines County and is located about 30 minutes from the Texas–New Mexico border. …
Several provisions in the Seminole SCFTU Ordinance align fully with the pro-life planks in the Republican Party of Texas 2026 Party Platform.
Plank #216(j),(l), and (m) reads, “Abortion is not healthcare; it is homicide. Until the abolition of abortion is achieved, we support laws that restrict and regulate abortion, including but not limited to . . . (j) Extending the private cause of action used in the Texas Heartbeat Act to all pro-life laws and policies in Texas . . . (l) Supporting the right of Texas municipalities to protect mothers and their preborn children in their communities by passing enforceable city ordinances that further ban abortions within their city limits, closing loopholes in state abortion laws . . . Prohibiting private entities from using funds, benefits, reimbursements, transportation, lodging, or organized logistical support to facilitate travel for the purpose of obtaining an elective abortion; and supporting appropriate civil enforcement mechanisms against organizations and individuals who knowingly assist in organized efforts to circumvent Texas laws protecting unborn children.” At the Republican Party of Texas 2026 State Convention in Houston, 97.41% of Republican delegates from across the state voted in support of this plank and its subplanks.
Plank #58, titled “Prohibit Abortion Trafficking Across State Lines” reads, “We support legislation to prohibit the use of any private or government funds, as well as the abortion trafficking of pregnant women across Texas state lines, by land, water, or air, for the purpose of procuring an elective abortion and for the provision of a private right of action against all persons and organizations who aid and abet in the harming of the woman, and the killing of her preborn child.” At the Republican Party of Texas 2026 Convention in Houston, 93.40% of Republican delegates from across the State of Texas voted in support of this plank.
Plank #156 reads, “We support legislation prohibiting and criminalizing the trafficking of the remains of preborn children killed by abortion facilities outside the State of Texas, picked up by Texas-based waste management companies, and brought back to Texas to be treated and regarded as trash to be disposed of in Texas landfills…” At the Republican Party of Texas 2026 Convention in Houston, 95.12% of Republican delegates from across the State of Texas voted in support of this plank.
Plank #157 titled, “Support for the Sanctity of Life,” reads, “The Republican Party of Texas supports programs that provide assistance to pregnant women and promote the sanctity of life.” At the Republican Party of Texas 2026 Convention in Houston, 96.36% of Republican delegates from across the State of Texas voted in support of this plank.
The proposed Seminole SCFTU ordinance has the same private enforcement mechanism found in the Texas Heartbeat Act and over 100 city and county ordinances across the State of Texas.
From LifeNews
While babies and their mothers should be protected everywhere, most Texans want it to be clear that life is valued. We hope and pray not too many Californians with California “values” came here and will elect abortion extremist James Talarico to the U.S. Senate. If you want to live in a totalitarian, leftist hellscape, please stay in California.
Our government and the churches here are fine without you.
One of the big problems with California, is its cultural disintegration, because it is a relatively “young” state, far away from the East Coast, Midwest, and better parts of the South, which have a longer, well-established cultural history, and older institutions of art, education, family and culture. It has always been a sad joke, that sometimes married couples with kids may get a better job, and move to California— but next, sadly, you may hear that they got a divorce! With kids eventually grown, turned loose, “thrown to the wind,” in confusion and despair. Of course, today, the whole country is suffering in a massive cultural destruction. One of the oddest things to me, is to meet Californians who will say they are non-natives, are from another part of the country, and moved here to take a job. There is a tremendous lack of family and cultural cohesion here. And shockingly, far too many immigrants are from other countries with very different cultures. (At least, there is family and cultural cohesion in many foreign cultures– but ours has tragically disintegrated).
When you move to Texas, you have a predominantly “Texas culture ” It is very distinct, with a long history. It also includes Texans of Mexican descent and culture. But if you move to California, you get no distinctive culture– except business culture, the scramble for money and success, in the “rat race.” Texas culture, with traditional family values and Christianity, and even a unique (sometimes hard to decipher) “Texas accent” and manner of thinking, living and speech– have helped to preserve their traditional culture and ways of life — highly prized by Texans!– despite a heavy influx of non-natives who do not share Texans’ traditional family values and traditional Christian beliefs. Hopefully, this will not change.
Reply to a Texas Catholic; I am very impressed with the State of Texas because of its pro life values and has an excellent governor. The problem with California is that it has all the wrong values and is run by Democratic politicians who have all the wrong values and are nothing more than Yahoos.
James Talarico is an extremely deviant, sick, anti-Christian, dangerous Democrat politician. He and his crazy brand of “Protestant Presbyterianism” need to be politically defeated, and “gone and forgotten” in the public eye. Please, Texans, don’t allow your Red State, with good, traditional Christian family values, to “turn Blue!”
Reply to Talarico must be defeated: You are a hundred per cent right. He’s very symptomatic with what’s wrong with the entire the Democratic Party. They need to be soundly defeated at the ballot box in the November midterm election. End Abortion Now! Adoption is the option.
We’re fighting the good fight. Both US Senate candidates are personally morally deficient men. Yet, most of Ken Paxton’s policy positions align with Christian values and most of James Talarico’s do not. Both have proven their positions with legislative votes they made and actions they’ve taken. Lord, have mercy on our nation. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
God bless you, Texas Catholic! Yes, both Paxton and Talarico are both morally deficient. But Paxton, though being pro IVF, has a long, hardline, anti-abortion record, to protect Texas unborn children from death by abortion. Talarico is staunchly pro abortion, and evilly defends his stance in the false name of Christianity, with his deviant, dangerous views as a so-called “Presbyterian seminarian.”
Yes Abortion is not healthcare; it’s the murder of the unborn who are innocent and defenceless. Let’s all hope and pray that Seminole, Texas votes to protect the unborn. End Abortion Now! Adoption is option.
I just read an interesting story all about the big German-speaking Mennonite farming community of 6,000, near Seminole. They have their own church and church-run schools, modest dress, traditional medicinal herbal remedies and healthcare, and traditional way of life. The County of Gaines, Texas, in which Seminole is located, is now one of the most productive agricultural areas in the U.S., due to the hard-working Mennonites. Pres. Jimmy Carter, a former peanut farmer, helped the Seminole Mennonites (who also grow peanuts) to get their U.S. Citizenship. The Menonites also own businesses, in addition to their successful farming. The Mennonites preach a consistent ethic of life– pro life for the unborn, non-violence, no war, no capital punishment, and they promote peace. But their beliefs are Biblically-based and religious, not political. They do not like mixing religious beliefs with secular laws and political action. I agree. When I was young, the Church, and other churches, too, had well-established Christianity in America, and there were firm laws against abortion — and other sins, including birth control. The laws were set according to God’s Biblical moral laws. Catholic prelates and Protestant ministers were well-respected and obeyed. Almost everyone belonged to a church. God forbid– you do not “take a vote” pro or con, on an issue like abortion. l disagreed in the 1960s, with our clergy switching to political action. No– strong Christian moral formation is needed, nationwide. Christian Morality, God’s Law, is permanent.
I have much respect for the Mennonites I’ve encountered. They are devout Christians and provide some of the best in senior living (including assisted living and memory care) and skilled nursing facilities. Admittedly, their ecclesial community was started by an archheretic priest, Menno Simons. Yet, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church (818) teaches, “one cannot charge with the sin of separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers . … All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church.” Let us pray for their fully entering in to the life of Christ and His Church and that we might be ready to welcome them.
The Mennonites, a branch of the Anabaptists, were heavily persecuted and executed in Europe– very shocking!– all because they believed in adult baptism and separation of church and state. The Anabaptist communities (including the Amish and Hutterites) are also pacifist, like the Quakers. I have never believed in forcing religion on anyone, nor in forcing ecumenism on everyone, either, in false hopes of an eventual “one religion in Christ,” under the Pope (for Catholics). People are very complex, and should be allowed to “live and let live.” God is Divine Love, and never forces anyone. He knocks at the door and encourages souls, silently, unseen. It is good to share our Faith, and then, to pray for people. Some will have big conversions, or a big return to the Faith, as life goes along. I have always thought that Our Blessed Mother works tirelessly in Heaven, to silently bring people to faith in her Son, Jesus. She is very powerful.
There is no such thing as complete separation of church and state since almost all laws are based on a religion, or philosophy. Polygamists want polygamy, monogamists want monogamy and polyandrists want polyandry. And, yes, there are some countries with polyandry.
With all do respect to the Mennonites, they were not always non-violent.as Menno Simons brother, Pieter, was killed for participating in a violent attempt to takeover a Catholic monastery according to Wikipedia, so the “persecution” seemed to go back and forth.
For many centuries, Catholic countries in Europe had strict laws, mandating conformity to the Catholic faith. In these confessional states, civil law and Church law were completely intertwined. Failure to comply with Catholic teachings was treated as both a serious sin, and a crime against the state. During the Protestant Reformation, in the 16th century, European rulers sought to establish uniformity of religious faith, for stability in their regions. The 1555 Peace of Augsburg established the legal principle of “cuius regio, eius religio.” (“Whose realm, his religion.”) And it gets worse, the deeper you read all the details of European history. A total tyranny of religion existed, everywhere, along with horrific religious wars, persecutions, exiles, torture, executions and bloodshed. Your civil rights were all totally tied to your conformity to religion– either Catholic or Protestant.
Anne, as the Church teaches, “often enough, men of both sides were to blame.”
Unitatis Redintegratio #3
Most of those who took over the monastery in 1535 were killed when it was taken back or executed later. Menno Simons was still a Catholic priest living nearby at the time. It seems the bloodshed and extremism led him to renounce the Catholic Church the following year and embrace pacifism. I had a Mennonite friend who was a rarity in becoming a police officer. Most, even to this day, refuse to take up arms.
One of the most applicable pastoral books I’ve read, “Caring Enough to Confront: How to Understand and Express Your Deepest Feelings Toward Others” was written by a Mennonite, Pastor David Augsburger, and is a sort of Christian classic. He also wrote, among other books, The Freedom of Forgiveness. Some of our separated brothers and sisters have valuable insights from which we can all learn.
Deacon Anderson, I had and read that book by Rev. Augsburger, “Caring Enough to Confront”. I finally recycled it a few months ago. I had underlined so much of it many years ago, and I had to reorganize my overstocked book shelves. I have learned wise things from everyone at times. After all, the Good Lord did praise the Good Samaritan (the one not quite “orthodox”, according to some) No pun intended. (Laughter.)