With all the noise out there about what you should be voting for in Amarillo, Texas, and the United States, there is also a little confusion as to what all the different measures on the ballot are.

Remember, the election isn't only about appointing people to office, it's about things that change the landscape of who we are as a city, how we operate, and what we are going to be.

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When you read the different measures on the ballot, it can be a bit confusing at times to figure out what exactly they're saying. The language is very "official" you could say, and it's not intended to confuse us, but sometimes it does.

Over the next few days, I'll break down in layman's terms what the propositions on the ballots here in Potter and Randall county mean. This way, if you're a bit confused by the language in it, hopefully this will help you understand what it means and allow you to vote properly.

Today, we'll start with Proposition A. This one is all about making Amarillo a sanctuary city for the unborn. This is how the prop reads on the ballot:

The Code of Ordinances of the City of Amarillo, Texas shall be amended to adopt an initiated ordinance, submitted by the Amarillo Sanctuary City for the Unborn Citizen Initiative Petition Initiating Committee, declaring the City of Amarillo a sanctuary city for the unborn; declaring that abortion at all times and at all stages of pregnancy is unlawful unless an abortion is performed to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency; finding that abortion-inducing drugs are declared contraband and it shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture, possess, or distribute abortion-inducing drugs in the City of Amarillo; prohibiting abortions within the City of Amarillo; prohibiting abortions on City of Amarillo residents; prohibiting abortion trafficking of an unborn child; prohibiting abortion-inducing drugs in the City of Amarillo; prohibiting any organization that violates 18 U.S.C. Sections 1461 or 1462 by facilitating abortions from operating or doing business in the City of Amarillo; prohibiting the transportation or disposal in the City of Amarillo of the remains of an unborn child killed by an abortion; providing a private right of action; providing for affirmative defenses; providing for severability and providing an effective date.

Ok, so this one is a bit of a two-fold proposition. The reason I say that is because it's not just about whether or not abortion is legal in Amarillo or not. That is something that has already been made illegal in Texas as a whole.

What is being voted on here is whether or not Amarillo is to be made a sanctuary city. What is a sanctuary city? In the broadest of terms, it means that Amarillo will have NOTHING to do with abortion unless it's to save the life of a woman who is carrying a child.

Anything outside of that would be considered illegal in Amarillo. No drugs that induce an abortion, no abortions being performed in the city, and no using the roads in Amarillo as part of a route to a state that will perform an abortion.

Yes, a sanctuary city literally means the doors are shut to Amarillo if you are even considering abortion. If someone believes you may have either used a road or highway in Amarillo to have an abortion yourself, or driving someone to have one performed, and they report you to police, you could find yourself in a he said/she said sort of situation.

So that is Proposition A in layman's terms for you.

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