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California is on the verge of becoming one of the first states in the nation to explicitly enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in its constitution after lawmakers voted Monday in favor of a constitutional amendment, putting the issue to the November vote.
The amendment is part of a series of legislative efforts in liberal states with the aim of consolidating reproductive rights following the Supreme Court decision that overturned last week. Roe against Wade. California, which has been advertised as a sanctuary for people seeking abortions, is trying to pave the way.
The bill tabling the proposed amendment passed easily in the state legislature, where Democrats have a super-majority, and voters will now consider it during the general election. A large majority of Californians have said they oppose the demolition Roe, and the amendment is expected to be approved. It does not require the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom (D), who supports the measure.
If enacted, the amendment will affirm the abortion rights already protected by current legislation. The California constitution, like those of several other states, includes a right to privacy that the courts have interpreted as protection for abortion. But last month the draft opinion of the was leaked Roe The decision prompted lawmakers to clearly specify a safeguard of reproductive rights.
“California stands firm on the right of people to access abortion care,” Toni G. Atkins (D), pro tempore president of the state Senate, said in an interview. “This is what we want to make sure explicitly that remains the case, regardless of who is in charge, whoever 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 does not say abortion “.
The California Council on the Future of Abortion, an alliance of abortion rights advocacy groups, applauded Monday’s vote.
“California must continue to take all possible steps to protect access to abortion,” the alliance said in a statement, which described the effort as “the response our state needs now to address this moment.” of national crisis “.
A similar constitutional amendment will also appear on the ballots of Vermont, the first state to submit this proposal.
Along with the amendment, California leaders have recently announced a series of initiatives focused on offsetting the Supreme Court ruling and the increasingly aggressive effort by conservative states to restrict access to abortion.
California’s proposed budget for next year includes more than $ 200 million for reproductive health care services. And on Friday, Newsom signed legal protections for abortion providers who care for patients traveling from places where the procedure is now prohibited. He also announced a partnership with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to make the West Coast a safe haven for abortion care, promising to protect patients and providers. out-of-state civil and criminal actions.
“This is not the America we know,” Newsom later said Roe the decision was published. “And it’s not the California way.”
This is a developing story.