Plans For California To Become A Sanctuary State Should Roe Be Overturned

By Sophie Mann, justthenews.com

As states prepare for the Supreme Court decision due next year that will dictate the future of abortion rights in America, the California state legislature has revealed a plan to make the state into a "sanctuary" for individuals seeking abortions

The plan includes the possibility that the state could pay for the travel, lodging and abortion procedures for women from other states.

The California Future of Abortion Council, which includes more than 40 abortion providers and advocacy groups, published a lists of recommendations for the state to consider, should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade.

State policymakers, including top members of the California Senate, helped write them and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that some of the details included on the list will make their way into his January budget proposal.

"We’ll be a sanctuary. We are looking at ways to support that inevitability and looking at ways to expand our protections," he told the Associated Press.

California is one of just six states that requires private insurance companies to cover abortions, in addition to funding the abortions of the state's poor through Medicaid. 

The report asks California to fund three travel expenses, lodging, transportation, and child care for out-of-state patients seeking abortions in California. It additionally requests that lawmakers ensure abortion providers are reimbursed for services to those who cannot pay.