California lawmakers are working to limit the governor’s power over abortion, introducing a bill that would require governors to deny extradition requests for healthcare providers who prescribe abortion medication or administer pediatric gender treatments.

Background

The move comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom refused to extradite a physician accused of prescribing and mailing abortion pills to a Louisiana woman. Newsom, who is considering a run for president, has long championed reproductive rights, but state lawmakers know future governors might not have the same views.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has vowed to honor extradition requests from other states if he’s elected, while his opponent, Democrat Xavier Becerra, has said he would deny the requests.

Legislation

A bill by state Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan would take some decisions out of the governor’s hands, requiring governors to deny extradition requests for healthcare providers who prescribe abortion medication or administer pediatric gender treatments. It would also shield anyone in California who helped patients travel to California or another state to receive legal care.

Supporters of the bill view it as insurance, even with Becerra leading Hilton 52% to 31% in recent polling. Opponents cast ‘shield laws’ as an incursion on other states’ authority.

Critics of shield laws say that states have a legitimate interest in enforcing their own statutes and that such laws represent an attempt by some states, like California, to nullify the legal decisions of others.

The availability of medication used in most abortions could soon change nationwide. Under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Food and Drug Administration recently confirmed it is conducting a safety review of mifepristone, one of two medications in pill form that is used in most U.S. abortions.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.