California governor proposes helping Arizonans get abortions in California

(The Center Square) - In response to an Arizona Supreme Court ruling banning most abortions starting on June 8, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to expedite licensing for Arizona abortion providers to operate in California.

Newsom hopes his bill will allow Arizona abortion providers to be approved in California in as little as five to 10 days.

Arizona’s Supreme Court ruling held that a 1864 pre-state law banning abortion except when the mother’s life is at risk is still in effect.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has said she would not prosecute over abortions, and the Arizona governor is redirecting abortion-related cases to Mayes to avoid county-level prosecutions.

Planned Parenthood expects a resulting increase in California abortions as a result of the Arizona ruling. California became an abortion sanctuary state in 2022, protecting individuals seeking abortions in California from legal and law enforcement action due to other states’ abortion laws. Newsom also allocated $200 million to expand abortion and contraceptive access, including $20 million for funding out-of-state women’s travel to California for abortions.

On Sunday, Newsom announced on MSNBC that he and California Democrats are introducing emergency legislation to allow Arizona abortion providers to quickly come to California and start providing abortions.

“A big part of my focus, and why I’m so focused on Arizona, and providing doctors in Arizona the ability to come into California through emergency legislation we’re going to introduce with the Women's Caucus this week is to address the crisis at hand with the law that will go into effect on May 1st — to provide access to women and girls that are fleeing the state of Arizona,” said Newsom on Inside with Jen Psaki.

Newsom also emphasized the political importance of Arizona and Nevada, and of abortion to the 2024 election against former president Donald Trump.

“To focus on Arizona electorally, to focus on Nevada electorally, that will play potentially an outsized role in this election, and what the needs and aspirations and desires of the people that live there are, and I think those needs and aspirations and desires are a little big bigger than reinforcing a previous point of view as it relates to the character or lack thereof of the former president of the United States, Donald Trump,” continued Newsom during the interview.

With bills in California required to be passed by at least the body they were introduced in by May 24, Newsom will have to act quickly to pass his bill before Arizona’s abortion ban goes into effect.