Newsom Signs Bills Protecting Privacy of Abortion Providers, Patients

Fresh off the heels of his landslide victory in the recall election, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation on Wednesday to protect the privacy of abortion providers and patients.

According to The Hill, Newsom signed two bills related to abortion privacy on Wednesday — AB 1356 and AB 1184 — with the intention of “protecting access to sexual and reproductive rights” in the Golden State.

“California has been a leader in protecting access to sexual and reproductive rights, but as we’ve seen recently with unprecedented attacks on these rights, we can and must do more,” Newsom said upon signing the bills.

“I applaud the establishment of the California Future of Abortion Council and look forward to its important work to advance our state’s leadership on this vital issue,” he said. “I’m proud today to sign these two bills that demonstrate our dedication to strengthening and further protecting access to reproductive health care services in California.”

AB 1356 will increase penalties for violators of the California Freedom of Access to Clinic law, which prohibits “the phone number and home address of an abortion provider, patient volunteer or clinic employee from being posted on the internet” as well as “photos and videos of patients and providers being taken within 100 feet of a clinic that provides abortions,” per The Hill.

AB 1184 seeks to “protect the privacy of people receiving reproductive health care services as well as gender-confirming care by ensuring their information is kept private if they are not the primary policyholder on their health insurance.”

Following the California recall election last week, Newsom has hit the ground running with his progressive agenda, immediately signing legislation that will end single-family zoning to make way for the building of multi-housing units. As Breitbart reported:

SB 8 overrides some local government authority to reduce the capacity of housing projects; and SB 10 promotes high-density developments in certain urban areas.

The most controversial of the three is SB 9, which would allow homeowners to split single-family lots into two, and allow them to build duplexes on each, without the approval of local authorities, and regardless of single-family zoning in those areas.

The idea is to encourage more housing units to be built, providing more supply and potentially lowering prices. However, the law is not likely to promote much new housing in urban areas like San Francisco, though it may have an impact in the suburbs.

During his victory speech after winning the California recall, Newsom thanked the voters of his state for saying, “Yes,” to his leftist agenda.

“We said yes to women’s fundamental constitutional right to decide for herself what she does with her body, her fate, and her future,” Newsom said. “We said yes to diversity. We said yes to inclusion. We said yes to pluralism. We said yes to all those things that we hold dear as Californians and, I would argue, as Americans.”