San Antonio ends its abortion journey fund

A brand new legislation barring the usage of public funds to help Texas sufferers in search of abortions outdoors the state has resulted within the dismissal of the state lawyer normal’s lawsuit in opposition to the town of San Antonio. 

 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s workplace claimed victory within the lawsuit Friday after the case was non-suited, that means it was dismissed with no discovering for both aspect. 

“Texas respects the sanctity of unborn life, and I will always do everything in my power to prevent radicals from manipulating the system to murder innocent babies,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated in a press release. “It is illegal for cities to fund abortion tourism with taxpayer funds. San Antonio’s unlawful attempt to cover the travel and other expenses for out-of-state abortions has now officially been defeated.”

San Antonio’s metropolis lawyer dismissed the notion that the town did something unsuitable and that the state gained the lawsuit.

“This litigation was both initiated and abandoned by the State of Texas,” the San Antonio metropolis lawyer’s workplace stated in a press release Friday afternoon. “In other words, the City did not drop any claims; the State of Texas, through the Texas Office of the Attorney General, dropped its claims.”

Last April, San Antonio City Council members authorized $100,000 to its Reproductive Justice Fund to assist assist abortion-related travels. Paxton’s workplace sued the following day, arguing that the town was “transparently attempting to undermine and subvert Texas law and public policy.” 

The lawsuit alleged that the fund violates the reward clause of the Texas Constitution, and requested a brief injunction blocking the funding allocation. The state’s fifteenth Court of Appeals sided with Paxton, granting a brief injunction to cease the town from disbursing $100,000 into the fund.

Then in August, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into legislation Senate Bill 33 that bars the usage of public cash to fund “logistical support” for abortion. In addition, the legislation permits Texas residents to file a civil swimsuit in the event that they consider a metropolis violated the legislation. “The City believed the law, prior to the passage of SB 33, allowed the uses of the fund for out-of-state abortion travel that were discussed publicly,” the town lawyer’s workplace stated. “After SB 33 became law and no longer allowed those uses, the City did not proceed with the procurement of those specific uses—consistent with its intent all along that it would follow the law.”

The following month, the city of Austin shut down its abortion journey fund. The metropolis had allotted $400,000 to its Reproductive Healthcare Logistics Fund in 2024 to help girls touring to different states for an abortion with journey, meals and lodging funding.