California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to be a “good neighbor” by allowing Arizonans to abort their babies in his state, he said during an appearance on MSNBC’s Inside with Jen Psaki on Sunday.
Newsom announced during the interview that he plans to introduce legislation that would allow Arizonans to get abortions in his state after the Arizona Supreme Court in April upheld a near-total abortion ban from 1864. The law is expected to take effect in the coming weeks after Arizona Republicans twice blocked an effort to repeal the law.
“We’re now doing that as it relates to being a good neighbor, not just to those that seek reproductive care and reproductive freedom, but also to our neighbors, particularly in Arizona,” Newsom said. “We’ve got some ideas to help those that seek to get their care in California to have their back as well.”
The legislation would reportedly expedite the licenses of Arizona abortionists to let them perform abortions in California. The bill will be introduced in the statehouse this week, Newsom said.
Brandon Richards, a spokesman for Newsom, told the Washington Post that the governor’s office has collaborated with state lawmakers to “quickly and effectively” respond the the Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling. Richards did not provide the publication more details about how quickly the bill could be signed into law but said more information will be released this week.
Newsom teamed up with Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) “to develop a plan that would expedite Arizona abortion providers’ abilities to provide reproductive care to their constituents in California,” according to the report.
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Arizona’s 1864 law bans abortions except to save the life of the mother, and includes prison time for abortionists who violate the law. The Arizona Supreme Court was asked if Arizona’s 15-week abortion limit signed into law in March 2022 overrode the older law. While the court did not rule on the constitutionality of the 1864 law, justices held that the 1864 law supersedes the state’s newer 15-week limit.
At the same time, pro-abortion activists are moving forward with a proposed amendment that would create a constitutional right to abortion in Arizona.
Arizona for Abortion Access — a coalition of groups that includes ACLU of Arizona, Affirm Sexual and Reproductive Health, Arizona List, Healthcare Rising Arizona, NARAL Arizona, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona — said they have amassed more than 500,000 signatures, well past the 383,923 required for the proposed amendment to qualify for the ballot in November. If the abortion measure makes it on the November ballot, it would need a simple majority to pass.
Arizona is one at least a dozen states where pro-abortion activists are working to codify the right to kill the unborn.
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Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
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