Amarillo voters reject abortion travel ban, a rare rebuke of anti-abortion movement in Texas [Video]

Opponents and supporters of the proposed abortion “travel ban” stand on street corner next to the Santa Fe Building in Amarillo during the Tuesday election. Credit: Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune

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LUBBOCK — Amarillo voters on Tuesday resoundingly rejected a proposal that would have effectively made it illegal to use local streets and highways to obtain an out-of-state abortion — a stunning rebuke in a deeply conservative portion of the state for anti-abortion advocates that first proposed the idea.

The proposal, known as Proposition A, lost by about 20 percentage points Tuesday night, according to unofficial votes.

Amarillo became the first Texas city to reject an anti-abortion ordinance placed on a citywide ballot.

The vote shuts the door on the yearlong debate in Amarillo, which began when city leaders hesitated to pass …