The announcement brings Newsom’s proposed spending on out-of-state abortion tourism to $125 million, over and above what he proposed in January. The new spending comes ahead of an anticipated decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the controversial 1973 ruling that established a “right” to abortion. A leaked majority opinion by Justice Samuel Alito in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization would return authority over abortion to the separate states.
Upon news of the probable decision, Gov. Newsom vowed to build a “firewall” around the state to protect abortion, proposing an amendment to the state constitution granting the right to an abortion to replace the federal one.
On Wednesday, he added that the state would spend on abortions for uninsured visitors, as well as on a “California Reproductive Justice & Freedom Fund” for pro-abortion community organizations, a “Reproductive Rights” website, and research on the “unmet needs for reproductive health care services.” Newsom also proposed a package of business incentives to encourage companies to relocate to California to take advantage of the state’s liberal abortion laws.
