(KTXL) — Gov. Gavin Newsom and 19 other governors announced the launch of a nonpartisan multi-state coalition aimed at protecting and expanding reproductive freedom in their states.
According to a press release, the 20-state coalition will be called the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, the largest coalition convened on the issue. The 20 governors represent nearly 170 million people across every region in the country.
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The coalition includes governors Jared Polis (Colorado), Ned Lamont (Connecticut), John Carney (Delaware), Josh Green (Hawaii), JB Pritzker (Illinois), Janet Mills (Maine), Wes Moore (Maryland), Maura Healey (Massachusetts), Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan), Tim Walz (Minnesota), Phil Murphy (New Jersey), Michelle Lujan Grisham (New Mexico), Kathy Hochul (New York), Roy Cooper (North Carolina), Tina Kotek (Oregon), Josh Shapiro (Pennsylvania), Daniel McKee (Rhode Island), Jay Inslee (Washington) and Tony Evers (Wisconsin).
“California has long been a leader in reproductive rights, but we can’t do it alone,” Newsom said in a statement. “We have gathered a coalition of bi-partisan governors to commit to reproductive freedom, and a coalition this size — 20 and counting — has never been done before.”
“This Alliance is a moral obligation to what is right and will stand as a firewall to fight for and protect providers, patients, and all who are affected by these attacks on fundamental rights,” Newsom continued.
Following the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade, decisions on abortion access were relegated to the states. In California, current legislation protects access to abortions.
Proposition 1 in California, which was passed by voters in the 2022 Election, amends the state constitution to include language that enshrines abortion rights. The amendment states that California’s government shall not get involved in a person’s decision to have an abortion or choose or refuse contraceptives.
Funding for the multi-state alliance will be provided by the California Wellness Foundation with additional support from the Rosenberg Foundation, according to the release.
We are standing with all people who believe in reproductive freedom and health care. We are standing with them to say ‘enough.’
In the last year alone, over 36 million women have lost access to critical health care with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Medication abortion — one of the safest forms of health care for decades now — may be stripped from our clinics and hospitals nationwide. Doctors face criminal prosecution for providing care. Extremists are trying to restrict access to contraceptives — and we know they won’t stop there.
In the face of this unprecedented assault by states hostile to abortion rights and their enablers in the courts, we are pledging to work together to strengthen abortion farewells across America. This fight isn’t over.
Governors from the Reproductive Freedom Alliance
