URGE – Member of the California Future of Abortion (CA FAB) Council – Supports Newly Introduced California Constitutional Amendment to Spell Out Abortion & Contraception as Fundamental Rights

As the nation braces for the Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (with the anticipation that the 15-week Mississippi abortion ban will be upheld and the Court’s 49-year-old precedent set by Roe v. Wade will be overturned), state legislators in California have introduced SCA 10 to explicitly name abortion and contraception access as fundamental rights for Californians. This legislative maneuver underscores previous efforts to position the state as an abortion sanctuary, which have been backed by Governor Newsom. 

While URGE recognizes that California’s progressive strides in no way eliminate the harm caused by rampant anti-abortion legislation in states across the South and Midwest, we applaud California legislators for their work to uphold bodily autonomy.  

“SCA 10 would take a step further California’s commitment to being a reproductive freedom state by solidifying state-sanctioned protections for Californians’ fundamental rights. As a state, we need to be prepared to not only provide services for those who live here but also for those coming from elsewhere across the nation who are being denied their basic human rights.” – Cindy Cruz (she/her/ella), Western States Field Director for URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity 

“As some states work overtime to restrict abortion access, we are pleased that California continues to find ways to expand protections for those who need care. URGE will continue to push for federal and state policies that secure our fundamental rights, and we rely on states like California to fill the imminent need for abortion care as young people are stripped of their bodily autonomy.” – Desiree Luckey (she/her/hers), Policy Director for URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity