California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a proposal to allow doctors licensed in Arizona to provide abortions in California. This move is intended to circumvent Arizona’s 1864 law, which bans nearly all abortions except in cases where the mother’s life is in danger and is set to take effect on June 8th. Newsom emphasized the importance of protecting access to abortions, stating that it is a matter of basic decency and respect for women and girls. He acknowledged that Arizona’s law is the first border-state law to directly impact California and expressed the state’s intention to proactively address it.
Joining Newsom in announcing the proposal were the California Legislative Women’s Caucus and other advocates who criticized the Arizona law as draconian and emphasized California’s obligation to intervene. The bill requires a two-thirds vote in each house of the Legislature before reaching Newsom’s desk, and it would go into effect immediately upon his signature.
UCSF Fresno OBGYN Carolina Sueldo highlighted the critical nature of continuity of care in pregnancy and abortion situations, emphasizing the importance of knowing the patient’s history and any potential complications. However, not all perspectives align with the proposed bill. John Geradi, executive director of Right to Life of Central California, believes the bill will not address the pressing issue of prenatal care in California and argues that more support should be directed towards pregnant women in low-income communities.
Despite these differing opinions, Newsom maintained that this issue affects everyone, as California is already experiencing an influx of individuals seeking abortion care from other states. He pointed out that 14 other states besides Arizona have implemented abortion bans at various stages of pregnancy, and that the Arizona House of Representatives recently voted to overturn the state’s 160-year-old abortion ban. If the repeal bill passes the state’s senate and is signed by the governor, abortions will no longer be banned in Arizona come June 8th.
Newsom has consistently prioritized defending abortion access during his administration, pushing for it to be enshrined in the California Constitution, allocating $20 million in taxpayer funds to assist women from other states seeking abortions in California, and enacting laws to hinder other states’ investigations into women traveling to California for abortions. These actions have resonated with the Democratic Party’s core constituencies, despite other challenges facing the state.
In addition to launching a publicly-funded website to promote California’s abortion services, Newsom has utilized a political action committee to criticize abortion restrictions in Republican-led states. His efforts have extended to funding ads in multiple states to oppose proposals prohibiting out-of-state travel for abortions. The Associated Press contributed to this report with valuable insights and information gathering.
