Newsom to add $57M to proposed budget for abortions, expecting influx of patients to California

California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom is preparing to add $57 million to his proposed state budget to prepare for an influx of out-of-state patients traveling to California to receive abortions.

The move follows the draft leak of the Supreme Court opinion indicating that the justices may soon overturn Roe v. Wade, which provides women with the constitutional right to have access to abortion.

If that does happen, the number of women traveling from across the country to California is expected to jump from tens of thousands annually, to roughly 1.4 million, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

California is one of about 17 U.S. states that have codified the right to have an abortion. Currently, state lawmakers are also mulling a piece of legislation that would protect abortion as a state constitutional right.

Newsom's proposed "Reproductive Health Package" includes $125 million to expand access to services for patients. The budget already allocates nearly $70 million for the state's reproductive health care system. The extra $57 million is a direct response to the possibility of the court overturning Roe.

The additional spending would include $40 million in available grants to abortion providers who wish to assist low-income individuals without health insurance seeking abortion services.

Another $15 million would go toward grants for "community-based" pro-abortion organizations to amplify "outreach and education on sexual health and reproductive health issues."

The rest of the funding would go toward a website that provides "accurate and updated" information about abortion rights in California, and toward "research regarding the unmet needs for access to reproductive health care services."

Newsom also says he is working on "incentive opportunities" for businesses and companies looking to relocate to, or grow their presence in, California from states with strict abortion laws.

His decision also follows several conservatives states recently having voting on and enacted legislation that limits the pregnancy period in which women can terminate a birth, which has reportedly resulted in them traveling to other states for the procedure.