Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday praised a decision by the state's 15th Court of Appeals to temporarily block San Antonio from using taxpayer money to fund travel for out-of-state abortions.
"Under absolutely no circumstances should any Texas city be funding out-of-state abortion travel, and I will continue to work tirelessly to end this cruel, unlawful, and morally bankrupt program," Paxton, who is challenging Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in the state's GOP primary next year, said in a statement, the Washington Examiner reports.
"Forcing Texas taxpayers to subsidize abortion tourism is a profound insult to our state's pro-life values and our laws protecting the unborn," he added. "As we fight to shut down this program permanently, I'm grateful that the court has moved to stop the implementation of this illegal, radical policy."
The case involves a San Antonio City Council ordinance allocating $100,000 to the city's Reproductive Justice Health Care Fund to support costs for traveling for abortions.
Paxton sued the city in April, saying it was illegal for the city to use money for a purpose that violates the state's anti-abortion laws and the state constitution's gift clause prohibiting the misuse of public funds for private purposes.
The three-panel appeals court said it was making no definitive statement on the merits of the case but noted that there was serious doubt about the constitutionality of the proposed distributions.
The San Antonio Reproductive Justice Fund in 2024 distributed $500,000 to nongovernmental organizations providing city residents with doula training, tests for sexually transmitted diseases, contraception, and reproductive health workshops.
None of that money was allocated for the out-of-state abortion travel, so the City Council allocated the extra $100,000 funds for "downstream reproductive and sexual healthcare services," which includes out-of-state abortion travel for residents.
The San Antonio city attorney's office said it is disappointed by the decision, which it called "unprecedented in nature."
"The City is exploring its options," the office's statement said.
Paxton also sued the city of Austin last September for establishing a similar program, where it allocated $400,000 in public funds for abortion travel. That lawsuit is continuing.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.