San Antonio officials approved their Reproductive Justice Fund on Thursday, but it will reportedly not cover abortion-related travel as had originally been planned.
When the fund was announced, City Council members said its $500,000 would be used to help women travel for abortions out of state, as nearly all preborn children are protected from abortion in Texas. That set off a firestorm of controversy as well as a lawsuit from Texas Right to Life and San Antonio Family Association (SAFA), who sued the city to stop it from using taxpayer funds for these illegal abortions. City officials now say the fund will be used for sex education in high schools, “reproductive health workshops,” contraceptives, prenatal care, and testing for sexually transmitted diseases.
“I know that it’s not enough for all of the need, but it’s a step in the right direction,” Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda said according to Express News. “It’s about making sure that all people have access and resources they need to make informed choices about their health and their future.”
Though abortion travel was not included in the final budget, several City Council members indicated their willingness to form a separate fund for abortions, though it is unclear where that money would come from. Mayor Ron Nirenberg also signaled his disappointment that the fund wouldn’t be used for killing preborn children.
“There is a service that is not being funded through these dollars, and that is travel services for abortion for out-of-state,” Nirenberg said. “That being said, that’s been the source of all the controversy. I would support a conversation or a discussion after this to allocate dollars specifically toward those services. I do believe we are missing parts of the intent that was initiated (by) this particular fund, which again, does not change what is being funded today.”
San Antonio is not the only Texas city looking to circumvent state laws surrounding abortion, as the city of Austin recently approved taxpayer funding for abortion in its own Reproductive Justice Fund. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the city in response.
Call on President Trump to pardon the FACE Act prisoners on his first day in office.
