San Antonio shuts down abortion journey fund after new state restrictions, lawsuit

San Antonio has shut down its out-of-state abortion journey fund after a brand new Texas regulation that prohibits the usage of public funds to cowl abortions and a lawsuit from the state difficult town’s fund.

City Council members final 12 months accepted $100,000 for its Reproductive Justice Fund to assist abortion-related journey, prompting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to sue over allegations that town was “transparently attempting to undermine and subvert Texas law and public policy.”

Paxton claimed victory within the lawsuit on Friday after the case was dismissed with out a discovering for both aspect.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claimed victory within the lawsuit after the case was dismissed with out a discovering for both aspect. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg through Getty Images)

“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,” Paxton mentioned 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.”

But San Antonio’s metropolis lawyer argued that town did nothing unsuitable and pushed again on Paxton’s declare that the state gained the lawsuit.

“This litigation was both initiated and abandoned by the State of Texas,” the San Antonio City Attorney’s Office mentioned in a press release to The Texas Tribune. “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.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton mentioned he’ll proceed opposing the usage of public funds for abortion-related journey. (Justin Lane/Reuters)

Paxton’s lawsuit argued that the journey fund violates the reward clause of the Texas Constitution. The state’s fifteenth Court of Appeals sided with Paxton and granted a brief injunction in June to dam town from disbursing the fund whereas the case moved ahead.

Gov. Greg Abbott in August signed into regulation Senate Bill 33, which bans the usage of public cash to fund “logistical support” for abortion. The regulation additionally permits Texas residents to file a civil go well with in the event that they consider a metropolis violated the regulation.

“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,” town lawyer’s workplace mentioned in its assertion. “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.”

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a regulation in August that blocks cities from utilizing public cash to assist cowl journey or different prices associated to abortion. (Antranik Tavitian/Reuters)

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The broader Reproductive Justice Fund stays, however it’s restricted to non-abortion companies resembling house being pregnant checks, emergency contraception and STI testing.

The metropolis of Austin additionally shut down its abortion journey fund after the regulation was signed. Austin had allotted $400,000 to its Reproductive Healthcare Logistics Fund in 2024 to assist girls touring to different states for an abortion with funding for journey, meals and lodging.