SACRAMENTO, California (LifeSiteNews) – California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has described his $125 million budget expanding access to abortion as “pro-life.”
Following the leak of a majority opinion by conservative Justice Samuel Alito for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which concerns Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, an opinion that suggests Roe. v. Wade could be overturned, Gov. Newsom announced a move to promote abortion in California.
The $125 million “Reproductive Health Package,” designed to make California even more attractive to abortion seekers in anticipation of a potential overturning of Roe v. Wade, was announced May 11.
“California will not stand idly by as extremists roll back our basic constitutional rights; we’re going to fight like hell, making sure that all women – not just those in California – know that this state continues to recognize and protect their fundamental rights,” Newsom declared.
California will protect and fight for the right to choose! We are expanding access to reproductive health, welcoming business fleeing anti-choice states, and solidifying CA’s leadership on abortion rights.
Thank you @PPActionCA for all you do! pic.twitter.com/tzbjVdgsvo
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) May 27, 2022
The package also includes “incentives for businesses to relocate and bring jobs to California from anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ states.”
READ: Gov. Newsom responds to potential Roe reversal with $125 million in ‘reproductive’ spending
Now, however, Newsom’s office has described the bill as “pro-life.” In a statement released May 13, the $127 million package was styled “the Governor’s pro-life agenda.”
Despite the “pro-life” designation from Newsom’s office, the bill includes:
- Covering Uncompensated Care for the Uninsured. $40 million for grants to reproductive health care providers to offset the cost of providing care to low- and moderate-income individuals who do not have health care coverage for abortion care services.
- The California Reproductive Justice & Freedom Fund. $15 million for grants to community-based reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations to conduct medically accurate and culturally competent outreach and education on sexual health and reproductive health issues.
- Comprehensive Reproductive Rights Website. $1 million to develop and maintain a website that provides accurate and updated information to the public on the right to abortion under state law, information about reproductive health care providers, and options for coverage for reproductive health services, including state-funded coverage and programs.
- Research on the Unmet Needs for Reproductive Health Care Services. $1 million for research regarding the unmet needs for access to reproductive health care services.
Newsom described his wider $300.7 billion “California Blueprint” budget, which includes the pro-abortion “Reproductive Health Package,” as “historic investments.”
READ: California advances abortion bill that attorneys say could legalize killing babies after birth
“We’re doubling down on our formula for success and making sure no one is left behind – supporting working families and businesses, tackling climate change, expanding health care access, making our communities safer, and more,” said Newsom.
While gridlock persists in Congress and right-wing fanatics turn statehouses across the country into laboratories of hate and oppression, here in California, we’re putting in the work to grow our economy and implement real, inclusive policy change to create a brighter future for all.
Newsom doubled down on his styling of the funding as “pro-life,” in a tweet linking increased gun law, promotion of LGBT ideology and “health for all” to the term “pro-life.”
What a “pro-life” agenda ACTUALLY looks like:
– health for all
– commonsense gun safety laws
– taking climate change seriously
– protecting LGBT rights
– expanding pre-natal care
– expanding mental healthcare
– expanding childcare
– universal preschool
– free school meals— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) May 17, 2022
The deep-blue state’s commitment to abortion-on-demand is nothing new; this year, the state legislature has seen bills to allow nurse practitioners to commit abortions without the supervision of an actual physician and potentially even effectively legalize infanticide. The “Reproductive Health Package” does, however, highlight the fact that the pro-life movement’s work would be far from over in a post-Roe world.
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Author Michael Haynes
