Top California officials vowed to put a measure on the ballot as soon as November that would ensure abortion rights enshrined in the state’s constitution, after reports the US Supreme Court prompted a reversal of Roe v. Wade. “If the Supreme Court of the United States doesn’t protect our bodily autonomy, California will make sure our Constitution leaves no room for confusion,” Senate President Pro Tempore Tony Atkins said during a Sacramento briefing on Tuesday. It comes after Politico. reported that it had obtained a draft majority opinion of judges that would overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
Governor Gavin Newsom and the Democratic-controlled state legislature have taken steps to make America’s most populous state a haven for abortion-seekers and a leader in protecting reproductive rights. Wade, California legalized abortion in 1967, several years before Roe v. Wade. California’s move on Tuesday paves the way for other liberal-leaning states to take defensive action, with public opinion following them. A survey last year by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 77% of adults in the state do not want the row to be reversed.
In December an advisory group backed by Newsom recommended expanding access to out-of-state residents, potentially including helping them cover their costs, as part of a report listing actions to ensure abortion safety. for.
Activists say the organizers of the protest rallies hope that public opinion in Roe’s favor will prompt one or two people to change their minds. “I want to hope that California is a thought leader. It has historically been sensible and reasonable and progressive and people-focused,” said Tori Horowitz, a native Angeleno. “But it sets a sinister precedent for an extremely fearful conservative agenda.”
In March, another Democratic stronghold, Washington, passed the firm Washington Abortion Access Act to shore up abortion protections, due to take effect in June. The law clarifies that nurse practitioners and physician assistants who are not doctors can provide abortion care and adds language that prohibits anyone coming to Washington seeking abortion care from states with more restrictive rules. Protects those who do it or any person who helps them. Abortion Services. At a rally in Seattle on Tuesday, Washington Governor Jay Inslee reaffirmed his commitment to reproductive rights and encouraged hundreds of people in the crowd to organize. “Washington state was a pro-choice state, Washington state is a pro-state, and we’re going to fight like hell to keep Washington a pro-state,” he said. The state could also try to ensure the right to abortion in its constitution, he said. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said his office would protect the rights of anyone who wants to access reproductive health care in the state, Refers to a Missouri bill that would make it an offense for someone to travel to another state to have an abortion. “If Missouri or any other state passes such an unconstitutional law, and it affects Washingtonians, we will challenge it in court, and I can assure you we will win,” Ferguson said.
If the U.S. Supreme Court reversed or weakened Roe v. Wade, its 1973 decision banning abortion, 26 states could move forward with restrictions. California may have a nearly 3,000% increase in out-of-state women seeking the procedure, according to a report by the advisory group, the California Future of Abortion Council, which cited data from the Guttmacher Institute.
A package of 13 bills is moving through the California legislature based on the group’s recommendations. Measures include funding abortion organizations and training for a more diverse sector of health care providers, reducing bureaucratic barriers and enacting legal protections for providers and patients coming from anti-abortion states, and providing financial assistance to care-seekers. Is.
“This is an investment in letting our most vulnerable community members know that they matter and we are going to use the full force of our budget, our legislation and leadership to ensure that their There is dignity and access to health care,” said Cristina Garcia during the assembly member’s briefing. “This moment has heightened the sense of urgency that we need to do for our individuals and asylum seekers here in California.”
Two-thirds of lawmakers must approve the constitutional amendment, and an equal share of voters must support it. Although California has long recognized the right to privacy, the measure will make it “crystal clear” that the state does the same for reproductive rights, Atkins said. “We won’t back down,” she said. “We’ll double that.”
Romi Varghese is a reporter at Bloomberg.