With more than two dozen states poised to ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court gives them the OK next year, California clinics and their allies in the state legislature on Wednesday revealed a plan to make the state a “sanctuary” for those seeking reproductive care, including possibly paying for travel, lodging and procedures for people from other states.
The California Future of Abortion Council, made up of more than 40 abortion providers and advocacy groups, released a list of 45 recommendations for the state to consider if the high court overturns Roe v. Wade – the 48-year-old decision that forbids states from outlawing abortion.
The recommendations are not just a liberal fantasy. Some of the state’s most important policy makers helped write them, including Toni Atkins, the San Diego Democrat who leads the state Senate and attended multiple meetings.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom started the group himself and in an interview last week with The Associated Press said some of the report’s details will be included in his budget proposal in January.
“We’ll be a sanctuary,” Newsom said, adding he’s aware patients will likely travel to California from other states to seek abortions. “We are looking at ways to support that inevitability and looking at ways to expand our protections.”
“The reality is, for many of us, the abortion debate is about to come to our backyard – and we must be ready.”
Brent Leatherwood
Brent Leatherwood, Southern Baptist Convention Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission acting president, reacted to the news.
“When I first learned of the proposal, I was stunned at the lengths some California leaders are apparently willing to go in order to make their state an abortion destination,” Leatherwood said. “I asked myself, ‘Surely this isn’t what Californians aspire to?’”
Leatherwood believes this is the first sign of what will happen across the country if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.“As utterly depraved as this plan is and the fact taxpayer resources will be used to implement and carry it out, it should serve as a clear reminder to the pro-life movement: Our work is far from over,” he said. “Because, as much as we will rightly celebrate Roe being weakened or overturned, it will mark the beginning of a new pro-life generation where service in local communities and one-on-one relationships will be essential for carrying the cause of life forward in all 50 states. The reality is, for many of us, the abortion debate is about to come to our backyard – and we must be ready.”
