California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a slew of pro-abortion bills on Tuesday, including several aimed at protecting “abortion care” for women traveling from out-of-state to seek abortions in California, where it will remain legal up to birth.
Newsom and the Democratic Party have sought to emphasize the abortion issue heading into the 2022 midterm elections, hoping to energize their base in an election that favors Republicans over bread-and-butter issues like crime and inflation.
In a statement, Newsom’s office highlighted five bills. One prevents women from being charged criminally for any loss of pregnancy; one prevents California law enforcement and private companies from cooperating with investigations by other states into a locals-provided abortion; one prevents health care providers from releasing medical records to assist an out-of-state inquiry into a an abortion; one requires health insurers to cover over-the-counter contraception; and one allows non-doctors to be trained ad certified to perform abortions via the surgical procedure known as aspiration, which uses a vacuum.
Newsom also signed eight other bills to protect what his office called “abortion care” against “extreme” policies elsewhere.