(USNewsMag.com) – In light of the Arizona Supreme Court ruling, on April 21st, California Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed that California lawmakers are introducing a bill that will help women from Arizona who are traveling to seek an abortion.
In its decision, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled an Arizona abortion law from 1864 that prevents access to abortion in most cases would go into effect by June 8th unless the Arizona state legislature intervenes. The 160-year-old law makes abortion illegal except to save the mother’s life (not health) and provides no exceptions for rape or incest. Abortion providers face up to five years in prison and hefty fines under the law. In Arizona, abortion had been legal through 15 weeks of pregnancy until the April 9th ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court. The Arizona Supreme Court justices stayed the enforcement of the ruling for at least 14 days, which allows abortions to continue for now.
During an interview with Jen Psaki on MSNBC, Newsom said the Arizona law “sickens you.” He added that those who support abortion need to respond to such bans with assertiveness.
California’s proposed legislation would allow Arizona abortion providers to continue their work in California by quickly approving them to work in California.
According to Newsom’s office, he proposed the legislation after Democrat Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued a call to action for Arizona abortion providers to be able to continue their work in the neighboring state of California.
Also on April 21st, a new ad, paid for by Newsom’s political action committee Campaign for Democracy, was unveiled that targets proposed abortion legislation in Tennessee, Alabama, and Oklahoma. The proposed legislation would make it illegal to help a minor access abortion care without a parent or legal guardian being informed. In November, a federal judge blocked a similar law from taking effect in Idaho.
In a post on Twitter, Newsom stated that proposed legislation in the three states criminalizes “young women’s travel” for abortions, adding, “We cannot let them get away with this.”
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