There’s a bill currently being considered by the California state Senate that, if approved, would require all public universities in the state to provide abortion pills to any students who request them.
The legislation — SB-24 — would mandate state-funded colleges keep the abortion pill RU-486 on hand at all times. Student fees would be used to provide the medication, which ends first-trimester pregnancies. Such a law would effectively force students to pay for their classmates’ abortions.
On Wednesday, the California Senate Education Committee met in Sacramento, where the panel heard testimony regarding the bill. Among those who spoke was Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins, who noted the dangers of taking RU-486, which has, according to data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, contributed to the deaths of 24 women over the last two decades.
“When the abortion drug cocktail fails as it does about 10 percent of the time, surgical abortion is the next step,” Hawkins said. “Are Californians interested in outfitting campus health centers into surgical abortion facilities with compensated personnel and extensive emergency equipment?”
She also asked if administrators in California colleges are “prepared to handle the repercussions of students experiencing possibly life-ending bleeding and infections, caused by the abortion pills the school is providing.”
Those who, like Hawkins, have been following the legislation’s progression believe California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will sign into law the pro-abortion bill, which would make California the first state in the country to require university health clinics to offer pregnancy termination on campus.
Noël Jones, an executive member of Students United for Reproductive Justice, told The Daily Californian in March that Newsom has publicly stated he will sign SB-24 if it reaches his desk.
In order to make it to the liberal governor, the legislation would have to first pass through the California Senate Education Committee. From there, it would head to the Senate Appropriations Committee for a second vote before going to the entire state assembly. If it’s approved by the assembly, it would then go to Newsom for his signature or veto.