SACRAMENTO (KGTV) — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a bill, SB 233, Wednesday that would expand abortion access for Arizona residents.
"160,000 people across this country have had to leave their states to access reproductive care last year," Newsom said.
Many of these people come to California, specifically to San Diego, Riverside and Imperial Counties, to seek reproductive care, according to Newsom.
"...We have seen a 10% increase in the last year or so of out-of-state requests for care," Newsom said.
According to Newsom, SB 233 would allow Arizona health providers to temporarily provide abortions for their patients in California through Nov. 30.
He said doctors have to be in good standing and would be able to offer abortion services immediately under an expedited medical licensing process.
"If you are thinking about it from a healthcare standpoint," SDSU Women's Studies Chair Kimala Price said. "This affects everyone. Why shouldn’t we be concerned about people in other states? They are coming to us anyways."
Around the same time, Newsom held his press conference in California; in Arizona, the House voted to repeal an abortion law dating back to 1864. It bans most abortions in that state. The new law is expected to take effect this summer.
"It is a whirlwind. This is how politics happen. Things change on the daily. There is a glimmer of hope that steps are being taken in Arizona and also here in California," Price added.
The measure in Arizona now heads to the Senate. Here at home, Newsom’s bill still needs the approval of both houses of the state legislature before it can go to his desk.
When and if Newsom signs the bill, it would go into law immediately.
