Gavin Newsom announced he would sign into law in the coming days Assembly Bill 1666, which would protect abortion providers and their patients who come from other states who could face civil action from those other states.
The bill would “declare the law of any other State authorizing civil action against any person or entity who obtains or seeks the performance of abortion, performs or induces, or assists or performs abortion. is, or who attempts to engage in those acts or intends to be contrary to the public policy of this State.”
Newsom and other state leaders held a news conference Friday afternoon reiterating the state government’s commitment to increasing abortion access.
Senator Tony Atkins said during the news conference, “Nothing can prepare you for the feeling when you read the headline that the Supreme Court in our country has struck down nearly 50 years of precedent relating to abortion access and privacy.” Have given.”
Newsom said that he wants the country and the world to look to California in this time of need.
“I hope we are the antidote to your fear, your anxiety and perhaps the cynicism that many of you are feeling about the fate and future of not only our state, but the world and the country we live in, Newsom said. news conference.
The signing of the bill comes hours after the United States Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the 1973 case of Roe v. Wade, which had mandated abortion access across the United States. .
“It’s a remarkable moment that we’re here in California and we’ve been able to stand tall and face this moment and bow down,” Newsom continued. “There is no other state in the United States that is doing more to protect the most vulnerable, not only to this decision, but to the uncertainties of life.”
In states such as Texas and Oklahoma, it is legal for a person to request civil action against anyone who assists a pregnant person seeking an abortion.
AB 1666 is a direct response to these recently passed laws and seeks to limit California’s participation in civil actions submitted by these and other states against abortions performed within California’s borders.
