Paxton claims victory as San Antonio had already stopped abortion travel funding

Photo credit: KSAT.com

SAN ANTONIO — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday claimed victory over the City of San Antonio’s controversial Reproductive Justice Fund, though the development came months after the city had already stopped funding out-of-state travel for abortions.

In a news release, Paxton cited his legal action and the passage of Senate Bill 33, which prohibits taxpayer money from being used for abortion-related activities, saying the city had “officially ended abortion tourism programs.”

The fund, created in 2023 with an initial $500,000 following the Supreme Court’s 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, had originally planned to assist women with travel costs for legal abortions outside Texas. After a state law change excluded out-of-state travel, the city added $100,000 to the fund in April 2025. Paxton sued shortly thereafter.

Although his lawsuit was dismissed in district court, he appealed. By the time the 15th Court of Appeals ruled in October, the Texas Legislature had passed Senate Bill 33, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2025, banning public funding for abortion-related logistical support. Following the law’s enactment, the city requested the appeal be dismissed, noting it would comply with the new legal requirements.

“The City has always intended that the Fund comply with the law in all respects,” city attorneys said, adding that no part of the fund would support out-of-state abortion travel.

Other aspects of the Reproductive Justice Fund—intended for items like home pregnancy tests, emergency contraception, doula support, STI testing and prenatal care transportation—may still remain, though the city has not clarified the current status.

KSAT reports that as of June 2025, the city had spent roughly $500,000 defending the fund. City officials have yet to comment on Friday’s announcement.

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