Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the city of Austin, claiming that they are unlawfully using taxpayer money to help women obtain out-of-state abortions. The city had allocated around $400,000 in their 2024-2025 budget to a “Reproductive Health Grant” that covered travel expenses for abortions in states where it is legal.
Paxton’s office argued that this use of public funds violated the Texas Constitution’s Gift Clause, which prohibits the use of public funds to help individuals. They requested a temporary restraining order to stop fund distributions and sought a ruling to prevent Austin from using public funds for logistical expenses related to abortions.
The lawsuit, filed by Austin resident Mary Ann Teel and the State of Texas, claimed that there was no legitimate public purpose in spending taxpayer money on elective abortions. It also referenced The Human Life Protection Act and the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Attorney General Paxton stated that no city in Texas has the authority to spend taxpayer money on this issue and that the City of Austin was illegally using public funding for out-of-state abortion travel expenses. The lawsuit seeks to stop Austin from using public funds for this purpose in the future.
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