Mason City Council did not introduce abortion ban at Monday meeting

Mason City Council did not pass an abortion ban at its meeting on Monday night.

At the previous meeting on July 12, Councilmember T.J. Honerlaw said he was interested in passing a similar ordinance to the one Lebanon City Council passed in May declaring the city a "sanctuary city for the unborn."

Honerlaw said that he and Mayor Kathy Grossmann had already met with Mark Lee Dickson, the director of Right to Life of East Texas who has lobbied for abortion bans across Texas.

The council heard from numerous people both in support of and against an ordinance at its meeting. Pro-abortion rights and anti-abortion groups demonstrated outside the Mason Municipal Center. Several people carried baby balloons and signs into the council chamber.

Roughly 150 people attended the council meeting. The audience lined the back of the council chamber and several people pressed signs against the glass back wall. The atmosphere was tense and there were multiple skirmishes among audience members over seating. 

There was no mention of an abortion ban ordinance on the council's agenda for the meeting on Monday. However, any councilmember can introduce any ordinance at a regular meeting, according to the Mason city charter. 

Councilmembers did not move to introduce an abortion ban at the meeting. But that doesn't mean a ban is off the table. 

Grossman told The Enquirer on Friday that the council's policy and legislation committee has discussed the possibility of an ordinance and questions about its constitutionality. Grossman said she believes the ordinance will be discussed in committee again before it comes before the council.

The council's next meeting is at 7 p.m. on Sept. 13 at 6000 Mason-Montgomery Road. Videos of the council's meetings can be found here. 

Erin is the watchdog reporter for Butler, Warren and Clermont counties through the Report For America program. The Enquirer needs local donors to help fund her grant-funded position. If you want to support Erin's work, you can donate to her Report For America position at this website or email her editor Carl Weiser at cweiser@enquirer.com to find out how you can help fund her work. 

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