Update 9/3/2024: The City of Austin is moving ahead with the allocation of taxpayer dollars to pay for citizens to travel for abortion.
“What we know with the budget that we just approved, and I just talked to our city legal this morning, is we will continue to move forward with the implementation of our Reproductive Justice Fund,” Council Member Vanessa Fuentes said in a press conference on Thursday, speaking to a CBS Austin reporter. “We anticipate in the spring, we will have an open solicitation process to partner with local nonprofits in providing assistance, and logistical support for Austinites needing abortion care out-of-state.”
The news comes on the heels of a lawsuit to try to stop the use of taxpayer funds to pay for abortion travel and the Council’s announcement that it approved a resolution to label abortion as a human right.
8/26/2024: A former city council member in Austin, Texas, is suing the city for a second time over its plans to allocate taxpayer funds for its citizens to travel for abortion.
Former City Council Member Don Zimmerman filed the lawsuit August 20, arguing that it is against state law to “spend taxpayer dollars on abortion-assistance activities.” The suit also contends that the city violated the state’s gift clause, which prohibits cities from giving money to private individuals unless there is a public purpose.
The lawsuit comes after the city council voted August 14 to earmark $500,000 in its budget for “Reproductive Health-Logistical Support,” which would cover the cost of abortion travel expenses, even going so far as to pay for a companion to travel with the abortion-minded woman. Texas state law currently protects nearly all preborn children from abortion.
“Any use of taxpayer money inside Texas to procure a drug-induced abortion violates (state law), even if the abortion is being procured outside the state,” the lawsuit reads.
READ: Austin City Council votes to use half a million in taxpayer dollars for citizens’ abortion travel
Zimmerman previously sued the city in 2019 after it allocated $150,000 to fund programs that provide transportation, lodging, and childcare for women seeking abortion. According to the Austin Monitor, he lost that lawsuit after a Travis County district judge ruled against him.
“The City is aware of Mr. Zimmerman’s amended lawsuit in response to the recent budget allocation for logistical support services,” Meghan Riley, the city’s litigation division chief, said in a statement to the American-Statesman. “We have successfully litigated this issue in the past and will respond to the recent allegations through the appropriate court channels.”
Austin City Council members appear optimistic in defending their budget.
“Efforts to obstruct reproductive freedom in Texas are nothing new or surprising,” Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who introduced the abortion funding budget amendment, told the American-Statesman. “I remain fully committed to defending our reproductive rights here in our home city. As far as I’m concerned, our resolve remains unchanged.”
