Two pro-life groups are suing the city of San Antonio, Texas, in an effort to block $500,000 in taxpayer money from being allocated towards an abortion fund.
Texas Right to Life and San Antonio Family Association (SAFA) are fighting to stop a “reproductive justice fund” after the city council approved a budget in September including $500,000 earmarked for it. It is believed that the abortion fund will help pay for women to travel for abortions, as well as for illegal chemical abortions in the state of Texas. Though the city council has not given specifics yet, some of its members were clear about what they were hoping for.
“We need to discuss the opportunities we have to make an impact legally,” Jalen McKee-Rodriguez told KSAT in September. “As far as we can go, I want to go there, of course, within the confines of state law.”
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City Attorney Andy Segovia seemed dismissive of the lawsuit, saying it was based on misinformation. “A decision has not been made on how that money will be used,” he said in a statement. “The City Council will have an open work session to discuss the use of the funds that will be managed by the City’s Metro Health Department. The funds will be distributed in accordance with state and federal laws.”
Yet in an e-mailed press release from Texas Right to Life, it was pointed out that numerous abortion groups lobbied for the “reproductive justice fund” to be put into place, including Jane’s Due Process, an organization dedicated to helping minor children illegally undergo abortions in Texas, without their parents’ knowledge or consent.
“We will not allow the City of San Antonio to give taxpayer money to criminal organizations that engage in abortion trafficking and disregard the Pro-Life laws of our state,” Texas Right to Life President Dr. John Seago said. “We will be taking discovery from every one of these abortion funds to expose their violations of state law and the criminal activities of their members and donors. Any other city in Texas that tries to give taxpayer money to abortion funds or abortion-assistance organizations will be met with a similar lawsuit.”