In the aftermath of the leaked supreme court document foretelling the end to federal abortion protections, California geared up to fight.
“California will not stand idly by,” the state’s governor and legislative leaders said in a joint statement. As in other liberal-leaning states, officials and abortion providers vowed to ramp up abortion protections and turn California into an abortion safe haven.
Already, no other state does more to protect abortion access. The right to an abortion in California is guaranteed in statute and by the sweeping personal privacy rights enshrined in the state constitution. California health insurance plans cover the cost of an abortion for low-income residents, and the state has rejected waiting period requirements and most restrictions on the practice.
But even in the state with the best abortion protections in the US, abortions have long been inaccessible for many – especially those living in rural, conservative areas. Forty per cent of California counties have no clinics providing abortions. Many people still have to travel far to get the appropriate care, or struggle to afford abortions, while language barriers and a lack of up-to-date information can make it difficult to find help.