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California is poised to become one of the first states in the nation to explicitly enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in its constitution after lawmakers voted Monday to change the constitution, raising the issue in November.
The amendment is part of a wave of legislative efforts in liberal countries aimed at strengthening reproductive rights following last week’s Supreme Court ruling overturning Rowe vs. Wade. California, which is touted as an asylum seeker for abortion seekers, is trying to be a leader.
The bill to introduce the proposed amendment easily passed through the state legislature, where Democrats have an overwhelming majority and voters will now consider it during the general election. A large majority of Californians said they opposed the overthrow deer, and the amendment is expected to be adopted. The signature of Governor Gavin Newsom (D), who supports the measure, is not required.
If adopted, the amendment will confirm abortion rights, which are already protected by existing legislation. The California constitution, like those of several other states, includes the right to privacy, which courts interpret as protecting abortion. But last month’s draft opinion of deer the decision prompted legislators to clearly set out precautionary measures for reproductive rights.
“California remains steadfast in people’s right to access abortion care,” said Tony G. Atkins (D), interim president of the U.S. Senate. “This is what we explicitly want to be sure will continue to be the case, no matter who is in office, no matter who the judge is. … I don’t want people to think we’re safe here just because we have a constitution that guarantees the right to privacy – it doesn’t say abortion. “
The Council on the Future of Abortion in California, an alliance of abortion advocacy groups, welcomed Monday’s vote.
“California must continue to take all possible steps to protect access to abortion,” the alliance said in a statement, calling the effort “the response our state needs right now to meet this moment of national crisis.”
A similar constitutional amendment will appear on the ballots in Vermont, the first state to present such a proposal.
Along with the amendment, California leaders recently announced a series of initiatives aimed at leveling the Supreme Court’s ruling and increasingly aggressive efforts in conservative states to restrict access to abortion.
California’s proposed budget for next year includes more than $ 200 million for reproductive health services. And on Friday, Newsom signed a law protecting abortion providers who care for patients traveling from places where the procedure is now banned. He also announced a partnership with Washington Gov. Jay Insley and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to make the West Coast a safe haven for abortion care, promising to protect patients and providers from civil and criminal action outside the state.
“This is not the America we know,” Newsham said afterward deer the decision was released. “And that’s not the California way.”
This is an evolving story.
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