California governor ratifies new package of laws to protect and expand abortion access

California Governor Gavin Newsom has ratified a new package of laws to safeguard and expand access to abortion in the U.S. state in the face of an alarming number of local governments taking steps to outlaw the practice following the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Roe v. Wade ruling.

“An alarming number of states continue to criminalize abortion and criminalize women, and it is more important than ever to fight for those who need these essential services. We are doing everything we can to protect people from any retaliation for accessing abortion while making contraception affordable,” the Democratic governor said in a statement.

Newsom has come out in favor of the legality of abortion and pledged that California will be a “safe place for those who want to undergo the practice,” while other Republican states continue to push through bans.

Among the regulations approved is the protection of patients and doctors in charge of carrying out the practice, who would be shielded from possible lawsuits filed by those states where abortion is prohibited.

Thus, the legislation prevents law enforcement and other individuals from cooperating with investigations in other states regarding these procedures as long as they are legal in California. In addition, California technology companies may not share personal reproductive data with authorities and agencies seeking to criminalize abortion.