California: An abortion destination? + Unions in the crosshairs + A special session?
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
CALIFORNIA: AN ABORTION DESTINATION?
If the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its Roe v. Wade decision and abortion were banned in over half the country, California would become a premier destination for those seeking abortions, according to a new report released by the Guttmacher Institute.
An estimated 46,000 people seek abortions in California from outside the state’s borders right now. In the event Roe v. Wade is overturned, that number could increase by 2,923% to 1.4 million, with the vast majority of the abortion-seekers coming from Arizona, according to the report.
Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California released a statement following the release of the report, saying that the report shows “how dire the country’s sexual and reproductive health care situation is and how harmful the dangerous policies that restrict access to abortion are to millions of people.”
“Beyond the real people affected, these numbers paint a harrowing picture of the huge impact extremist policies in other states have on people in California. Planned Parenthood will continue to work closely with policymakers, legal experts, providers, and advocates to ensure California is urgently building upon its status as a Reproductive Freedom state. It is imperative that California invests in our front-line providers, as well as ensure practical support to navigate barriers to abortion care is protected and expanded. As we brace for this potential increase in people needing abortion services here in California, our state must be as prepared as possible to avoid a situation of delayed care for both Californians and those needing care from out-of-state. While we continue to strive for health equity in California, this must include access to abortion for all,” Hicks said in a statement.
CALIFORNIA UNIONS IN THE CROSSHAIRS
Via Jeong Park...
A billionaire venture capitalist wants California public unions gutted.
Multiple proposed initiatives, including one involving a former Trump cabinet member, call for California to give around $14,000 a year for parents sending their kids to private schools.
Education reform advocates are gearing up for an initiative enshrining in the California Constitution the right to a “high-quality” public education for every student, which could lead to legal battles with school districts and teachers unions.
Initiatives going after California’s public schools and unions aren’t new. But if those measures collect enough signatures to reach the ballot, 2022 could be a blockbuster of an election for California’s unions, who could have to spend an unprecedented amount of money on defense.
Unions are vowing to fight, saying the results of the recall election showed Californians are not willing to support initiatives that weaken the state’s labor. But the advocates for the measures say they believe the pandemic, which closed many schools for months as teachers and districts negotiated the terms of reopening, could push Californians to support ideas often seen as heretical for a blue state.
Forcing unions to play defense means spreading them thin in areas like key congressional races for the midterm, said David McCuan, a professor at Sonoma State who has followed the state’s initiatives for decades.
“The idea is to water down their capability by causing them to fight everywhere,” he said.
ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS CALL FOR SPECIAL SESSION
Ten Assembly Republicans have penned a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, urging him to call a special session to address the nation’s supply chain crisis, and the backlog at California’s ports.
The letter, led by Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, calls for the Legislature to tackle the following issues:
“Which state laws and regulations hinder expeditious service at California ports? Can we temporarily suspend any of these laws and regulations to help mitigate the supply chain crisis? What reforms can the legislature undertake to minimize future complications at California’s ports? How do state laws and regulations affect the competitiveness of California ports?”
Kiley echoed a previous letter sent by the California Business Roundtable, which called for the suspension of AB 5 and AB 701, two labor laws that business groups allege have led to a slowdown at California’s ports.
“As a result of this congestion at California ports, manufacturers are struggling to acquire products to meet consumer demand and farmers are struggling to secure empty containers to ship agricultural goods. These delays ultimately lead to higher prices for consumers, delayed wait times for goods, and a slower post-pandemic economic recovery,” according to a statement from Kiley’s office.
In addition to Kiley, the signatories on the letter include Assemblymembers Susan Valladares, James Gallagher, Kelly Seyarto, Jim Patterson, Thurston Smith, Laurie Davies, Thomas Lackey, Janet Nguyen and Devon Mathis.
Best of the Bee:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom canceled his planned trip to Glasgow, Scotland, for the United Nations climate conference in a surprise announcement Friday morning, citing “family obligations,” via Sophia Bollag.
Both Democrats and Republicans on Thursday said they are open to tweaking California’s 108-year-old recall laws, but they’re far from consensus on what those changes should look like, via Lara Korte.
Preliminary visualizations for California’s new congressional districts would put Central Valley Reps. Devin Nunes and Josh Harder in tougher elections in 2022 for their seats in the United States House of Representatives, experts say, via Gillian Brassil.
This story was originally published November 1, 2021 at 4:55 AM.