California Looks to Expand Aid to Out-of-State Abortion Seekers
California Looks to Expand Aid to Out-of-State Abortion Seekers
(Bloomberg) -- A California advisory group backed by Governor Gavin Newsom recommended that the state expand its ability to provide abortions to out-of-state residents, including potentially helping to cover their costs, if the landmark Roe v. Wade case is overturned.
The report from the California Future of Abortion Council -- which included the participation of Toni Atkins, the top legislative leader in the Democratic-controlled state senate -- lists 45 actions the state should take to ensure that the rights of those seeking abortions and those who support them are protected.
If the Supreme Court overturns or weakens Roe v. Wade, the decision preventing abortion bans, 26 states may move forward with restrictions. That could result in a nearly 3,000% increase of out-of-state patients seeking the procedure in California, according to the report that cited data from the Guttmacher Institute. The court is scheduled to rule in late June.
The California recommendations include funding abortion organizations and training for a more diverse field of health-care providers, reducing bureaucratic hurdles and enacting legal protections for patients coming from anti-abortion states. A group of more than 40 organizations, including Planned Parenthood, made up the council.
“The California legislature knows that access to services is key within the spectrum of health, which is why we have consistently taken action to further protect and expand reproductive rights and access to services in our state,” Atkins wrote in a letter for the report.
Newsom, a Democrat, told the Associated Press that some of the report’s recommendations will appear in his budget proposal for the next fiscal year that he will release in January. He has said that his administration, which participated in the advisory group, would do more to expand reproductive services in the state.
“At a time when reproductive rights and women’s health care are under attack in this country, California is stepping up to meet the moment,” Newsom said in an emailed statement Wednesday. “We take seriously the recommendations made in this report as California continues to lead the nation in protecting such fundamental rights.”
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