Update 12/9/24: San Antonio City Council members are now asking the city to allow $100,000 to be used for “downstream services” including covering the expenses of abortion travel.
In a memo to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Councilwoman Melissa Cabello-Havrda wrote, “I appreciate all of City Staff’s work to successfully award the initial Reproductive Justice Funds RFP. However, it was made evident during the presentation of the awardees and the services they provided that we were not able to provide key downstream services. In following with our City Council discussion on October 16, 2024, whereby several City Council Members and yourself acknowledged this missed opportunity, we publicly stated that we would seek a solution to address this missed opportunity. As such, I am formally requesting we identify additional funding of at least $100,000 for the Reproductive Justice Fund, for the targeted purpose of providing downstream services that were not met through the already awarded funds.”
It also states that they will work directly with organizations that have already applied for the funding “to ensure that the recipient(s) of the funds can provide the targeted services required to meet this time sensitive and crucial need.”
The memo was also signed by Councilwoman Sukh Kaur, Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran, and Councilwoman Teri Castillo.
Abortion travel costs were included as part of the city’s request for proposals, but just two of the 10 applicants included abortion travel as part of their proposals. The “downstream” funding is the section of the Reproductive Justice fund’s request that includes travel costs related to abortion.
11/24/24: 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.
