Abortion is an ugly business—and big business it is indeed— yet California governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Friday a measure mandating that public universities to provide free access to medical abortions for students.
CNA, CBJ—The law will take effect in 2023, and applies to the 34 campuses of the University of California and California State University.
Sen. Connie Levya (D-Chino), the law’s author, said Oct. 11 that “abortion is a protected right, and it is important that everyone—including college students—have access to that right, if they so choose. I thank the Governor and my legislative colleagues for upholding the right to choose and affirming the right of college students to access medication abortion on campuses here in California.”
Unnecessary, Tragic consequences
“Governor Newsom’s reckless support for a new abortion pill distribution scheme on California college and university campuses will put students’ lives at risk and put schools at risk of lawsuits as conscience rights are violated,” said Students For Life of America’s Kristan Hawkins.
The law will also create a fund to provide a $200,000 grant to each public university student health center to pay for the cost of offering abortion pills, with money coming from non-state sources such as private sector entities and local and federal government agencies.
The law will only take effect if $10.29 million in private funds are made available by Jan 1, 2020, which funding has already been secured according to an Aug. 12 analysis of the bill by the State Assembly’s appropriations committee.
It also requires abortion counseling services to students, but it is “specifically written in such a way to exclude pro-life counseling,” the California Catholic Conference said in a statement on their website.
Former Governor Jerry Brown, a public supporter of abortion, vetoed a similar bill last September, saying it was was “not necessary,” as abortion services are already “widely available” off campus.
The California Catholic Conference was opposed to the law as it passed through the legislature, and last month the group urged Newsom to veto “this unprecedented and unnecessary legislation because it purposely narrows a young woman’s choices and puts the state’s prestigious academic institutions in a position of actually promoting, facilitating and potentially funding only abortions.”
Abortion, Abortion, Abortion: No alternatives offered to students
Currently, a majority of campus health centers offer gynecological services and contraceptives, but they will refer students seeking an abortion to an off-campus abortion clinic.
The California Catholic Conference said the bill overemphasizes abortion as an option for college pregnancies. While the bill invites health centers to include abortion counseling services, the conference said it is “specifically written in such a way to exclude pro-life counseling.”
“This bill will promote only abortion-inducing drugs on college campuses,” said Andrew Rivas, executive director of the conference. “No government-funded institution, medical or counseling center, should ever provide only one set of services. If this bill is truly about providing choices for female students, the state should then also require and fund life-affirming services on campus.”
“Offering state-funded abortions as the only alternative to pregnancy undermines the ability of a state academic institution to promote the value of diversity and the empowerment of women,” he added.
Medical abortions involve the taking of two pills – the first, mifepristone, blocks progesterone, which is essential for maintaining the health of the fetus. The second pill, misoprostol, is taken 24 hours after mifepristone and works to induce contractions in order to expel the fetus.
“Women will lose, as the abortion lobby makes bank. This law includes funds that can go to Planned Parenthood for ‘consulting’ and new funds for ‘security’, allowing the nation’s number one abortion vendor to sit back and cash checks, enjoying the chaos of abortions taking place at schools without any of the risk,” said Hawkins.
What will really happen on campus thanks to this new law
Problems with the forced distribution of chemical abortion pills on college and university campuses are detailed here and include:
- The pills have resulted in women’s deaths as well as complications like infection, surgery, and even hysterectomy.
- The horrifically painful two-pill event will send women back to the dorms to bleed excessively and pass a deceased infant on campuses.
- These abortions will also create the problem of medical waste on campuses, something that the bill sponsor does not make a plan to address.
- Between 15 and 75 students per month will need a follow surgery when the drugs fail, as they sometimes do, requiring health centers to be ready for emergency events.
- No need exists for bringing this on campuses as abortion facilities are less than 6 miles from every CA public university and college campus, which was why former Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the bill.
- Students will still pay. Despite the fact that it’s basically a $5 uber ride to the facilities, and that such transportation costs are covered in CA, the abortion lobby pushed for passage of the law, which will result in a cost of about $500 for students, according to the state’s finance committee report.
- Legal costs will also be a burden to school systems as student conscience rights will be violated as pro-life students are forced to subsidize health centers that distribute chemical abortion pills, and as healthcare workers are forced to do the work.
- Even before the expected legal costs, the program was getting expensive. As student leader Bernadette Tasy noted for California elected officials, “In the Senate Appropriations Committee analysis in May 2019, the UC estimated a ‘funding shortfall of $4.6 to $7.8 million…. beginning January 1, 2023, no source of funding is provided in SB 24. Without funding, the student health centers will incur ongoing costs in the range of $2.2 to $3.2 annually. Unless financing is made available post 2023, by the state or foundation, this cost will fall to students.’”
- No safeguards are in place in the law to protect women who may be dosed with the drugs without their consent, ending the life of their child. Abusers are known to have used drugs against their partners’ wishes.
- The bill sponsor says directly that this is part of a radical effort to distribute abortion drugs nationwide on college and university campuses.
- Pro-Life students will be impacted. With more than 90 groups in California, Students for Life of America knows that the Pro-Life Generation does not want to bring abortion onto campuses.
For the last several years, SFLA has actively opposed this measure, testifying, lobbying, rallying, letter writing and educating et al, and we will be prepared to meet similar efforts in other states as they take place.
For more on the effort to put chemical abortion pills on campuses, visit: https://www.
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