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MASON, Ohio (LifeSiteNews) – A city in Ohio has successfully voted to criminalize abortion 

Councilors in the city of Mason, Ohio voted 4 to 3 to criminalize abortion on Monday evening, declaring the city “a sanctuary for the unborn.” 

The approved ordinance, which completely bars the practice of abortion in all stages of pregnancy, comes into effect on November 24. 

Mason, located north of Cincinnati, does not currently have any abortion clinics within city limits, but advocates of the new policy hope that this will prevent any infanticide businesses from coming to the city in the future.  

Violators of the new city ordinance will be subject to up to a year in prison and a $2,500 for each abortion they perform, whereas the women who seek abortions will remain exempt from any criminal liability.  

Aiding and abetting in the process of abortion, which includes the possessing or distributing of “abortion-inducing drugs” such as misoprostol and mifepristone, has also been made illegal by the ordinance.   

The four votes in favor of the ban were made by council members Tony Bradburn, T.J. Honerlaw, vice-mayor Mike Gilb, and Mayor Kathy Grossmann. 

“I’m here to protect life. For me it’s a fundamental issue,” said Glib. “If the foundations be destroyed, what do we have left?”  

“I’m not just here to decide how bright the streetlights should be or where the next roundabout goes. Those things are certainly important issues, but they’re not as fundamental as protecting life,” he added.  

The voting process started with a 90-minute meeting reserved for residents of the city, giving citizens on both sides of the issue an opportunity to present their arguments and feelings to the councilors prior to the vote. 

After the ninety-minute session, the council voted to approve the ban, drawing the ire of pro-abortion advocates in the meeting who shouted “vote them out” at the four members who supported the pro-life directive protecting the lives of unborn children.  

The city passed the ordinance with the inspiration and aid of the non-profit group Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn.  

The pro-life organization, which was founded in 2019, helped the Mason city council draft the ordinance, and seeks to encourage and aid other cities across America in the passing of similar abortion bans that allow them to declare their city a “Sanctuary for the Unborn.” 

Other groups, such as the Ohio Right to Life, also made the trek to Mason to field their support for the city’s new pro-life declaration. 

“I believe that the people of Mason are compassionate and principled people and to be able to come down here and support them as they fight, with so much fervor and so much passion to become a sanctuary city for the unborn against all odds, it was important that Ohio Right to Life was down here,” said Allie Frazier of Ohio Right to Life. 

Mason is one of two cities in Ohio that has now banned abortion. In May, the city of Lebanon voted unanimously to reject the practice of abortion within city limits. Additionally, the city of London in Ohio has also presented an ordinance to their city’s committee with the hopes it will be heard by the members of the council.