The San Antonio City Council could soon vote on funding travel to out-of-state abortion services, amid an effort at the Texas Legislature to bar cities from doing so.

Why it matters: It's another example of a blue city vs. red state battle taking shape over abortion policy in Texas.

Zoom out: State Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels) introduced Senate Bill 730 last month. It would prohibit cities from funding, or offering logistical support, to abortion assistance groups.

Catch up quick: In 2023, the City Council approved a $500,000 reproductive justice fund in the city's budget. Anti-abortion groups sued the city over it, saying the intent of the fund was to give public money to groups paying for abortion-related travel.

• The money, administered by the city's health department, was also for testing for sexually transmitted infections, reproductive health training and more.
• In November, after a Bexar County judge had tossed out the lawsuit, the city approved contracts for the reproductive justice fund. None were for abortion-related travel.

Zoom in: District 6 Councilmember and mayoral candidate Melissa Cabello Havrda, along with four other councilmembers, issued a memo in November asking for more money for the fund — this time with the aim of funding travel to abortions.

The latest: A majority of the Council's Community Health Committee voted Friday to approve another $100,000 from Metro Health's budget for the reproductive justice fund, restricted to the original 10 applicants from last time.

What they're saying: "We must close loopholes that allow cities like Austin and San Antonio to misuse taxpayer funds in ways that undermine our state's pro-life policies," Campbell, who also represents parts of North San Antonio, told the Texan.

The other side: "Such a measure not only undermines local authority but also poses a direct threat to the public safety, health and autonomy of our residents," Cabello Havrda said in a statement condemning the bill.

The bottom line

Texas' abortion ban didn't just affect Texans — it has squeezed access to care in states that don't even border Texas.

Why it matters: While previous reporting has focused on Texans flooding clinics in other states, a new study reveals broader ripples in Colorado, a state where abortion remains legal.

• The Texas ban has led to procedure delays and a spike in second-trimester abortions in Colorado, a new JAMA Network Open study suggests.

The big picture: The study underscores how interconnected the health care system is beyond state borders.

By the numbers: The percentage of abortions in Colorado provided to out-of-staters jumped from 13% in 2020 to 30% by 2023, the study found.

• Amid the surge in demand, Colorado residents were 83% more likely to undergo second-trimester abortions after Texas' initial six-week ban took effect in September 2021.

What they're saying: Colorado clinicians say the dramatic increase in patients from Texas created scheduling bottlenecks that delayed care for out-of-state and local patients.

• The initial spike has leveled off, but demand from out-of-state patients remains above pre-ban levels.

What they did: Researchers at Colorado State University analyzed Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment monthly abortion data from January 2018 to June 2024, including information on residency and gestational age.

Yes, but: The study noted limitations. It didn't account for people who couldn't afford to travel, meaning the true impact of Texas' ban may be even more severe.

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🔌 CPS Energy does not plan to seek a rate increase this year as planned, but could borrow up to $5.7 billion in debt to keep up its sustainability and growth initiatives. (SA Report)

💸 UT Health San Antonio could lose up to $35 million from the National Institutes of Health under a Trump administration change that's still being litigated.

• The San Antonio-based Texas Biomedical Research Institute could lose about $13 million and UTSA could lose $3 million. (Express-News 🔑)

🤩 Two San Antonio restaurants — Isidore and Mezquite, both in Pearl's Pullman Market — were named to Texas Monthly's list of best new restaurants in the state. (Texas Monthly)

Christianity is the dominant religion in San Antonio and across Texas, but a growing number of people in the state — and nationwide — don't identify with any religion.

Why it matters: The shift is largely driven by Gen Z and younger millennials, according to the Pew Research Center.

The big picture: Fewer than half of 18- to 29-year-olds nationwide identify as Christian (45%), and nearly the same portion have no religious affiliation (44%), according to Pew's Religious Landscape Study, which surveyed more than 35,000 Americans.

• Meanwhile, 78% of those 65 and older identify as Christian.

State of prayer: Statewide, 67% of Texas adults identify as Christian and 6% with another religion.

• In 2007, 84% of Texans identified as Christian and 3% identified as another religion.

Zoom in: About 70% of adults in the San Antonio area identify as Christian. Of those, 29% identify as Catholic and 25% as Evangelical Protestant.

• 27% of San Antonio adults are religiously unaffiliated.

👋 Megan here. I came across this mural downtown recently, located off Broadway near Third Street.

• It's a nice display of San Antonio's car culture along a street that's finally open following a long period of construction.

📫 Tell us: Do you have a favorite mural in the city?

• Hit reply and let us know.