A proposal that would mandate public universities to provide abortion pills to students vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown in September has been brought back to the California state Senate.
Democratic state senator Connie Leyva from Chino had vowed to bring back the bill after it was vetoed. She reintroduced it as the state legislature reconvened after the election on Dec. 3, now with Democratic supermajorities in both chambers and a new governor-elect.
The medication advertises a success rate of over 95 percent and students would be expected to return to regular activities within 1-2 days, said the state senator.
The non-profit organization Live Action released a video with former abortionist Dr. Anthony Levatino describing the medication procedure to help educate women.
“I am confident that the incoming Legislature will also approve SB 24 and that Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom will continue to stand strong in his support for a woman’s right to choose,” Leyva said.
The legislation was authored by Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo and sponsored by the Women’s Foundation of California, ACCESS Women’s Health Justice, ACLU California, and other groups.
The bill will be considered in one or more Senate policy committees in the spring.
“According to a study sponsored by supporters of this legislation, the average distance to abortion providers in campus communities varies from five to seven miles, not an unreasonable distance,” he wrote. “Because the services required by this bill are widely available off-campus, this bill is not necessary.”
“Student success is not in opposition to parenting, which is the basis of SB 320 and the claims that we need abortion drugs on campus,” she said.
“Abortion drugs bring challenges to student success,” she added, citing the possible side effects of the drugs, which can occasionally require hospitalization or in rare cases cause death. She said the procedure can also potentially be traumatic.
Sacramento State graduate Jessica Massey is also opposed to legislation mandating abortion drugs on campus, like SB 320 and the new bill SB 24. She had one abortion in her junior year before becoming pregnant again.
She said the “hurt and pain” she felt from going through the abortion was something she wanted to help other women avoid.