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Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice California Commends Attorney General Bonta for Affirming that California Law Does Not Criminalize Pregnancy Outcomes
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Contact: [email protected]
Sacramento, CA — Today, NARAL Pro-Choice California responded to a legal alert issued by Attorney General Rob Bonta last week affirming that those who experience pregnancy loss will not be criminalized under section 187 of the California Penal Code. This alert from Attorney General Bonta will help inform state law enforcement of how to properly apply the law, which is intended to hold accountable those who harm pregnant individuals.
NARAL Pro-Choice America Vice President of Communications & Research Kristin Ford released the following statement in response:
“Nobody should be prosecuted for having an abortion, experiencing a miscarriage or stillbirth, or any other pregnancy outcome. This legal alert from Attorney General Bonta is a step in the right direction to ensure people are not interrogated, arrested, or charged for their pregnancy outcomes in California. With Roe v. Wade on the line at the Supreme Court, the threat of criminalization is as dire as ever. People across the country are already arrested or charged for pregnancy outcomes, including in California. We also know that Black, Indigenous, and other people of color; LGBTQ people; immigrants; and those with low incomes are disproportionately the targets of this surveillance and criminalization. NARAL Pro-Choice California is a proud member of the California Future of Abortion Council, which made this recommendation. By issuing this alert, California is again affirming itself as a Reproductive Freedom State.”
Recent research from the Guttmacher Institute has shown that if Roe v. Wade is overturned and the 26 states likely to ban abortion do so, California may see a 2,923% increase in women of reproductive age who could need to drive to the state seeking care—from 46,000 to 1.4 million people. In California, a strong majority of legislators support reproductive freedom, a testament to their values and conviction. However, support is just the starting point for being a true reproductive freedom champion. Nationally and in California, support for access to legal abortion is at a record high, with 8 in 10 Americans and Californians believing that abortion should remain legal, including a majority of Republicans.
To ensure California continues to be a Reproductive Freedom State, NARAL Pro-Choice California joined ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE, Black Women Wellness Action Project, National Health Law Program, and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California to launch the first-ever California Future of Abortion Council (CA FAB Council). The CA FAB Council is working in collaboration with researchers, advocates, policymakers, providers, patients, and key constituents to determine potential challenges in the state and recommend policy solutions that will continue to provide stability for both Californians and those who may seek services here from out of state.
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For over 50 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for every body. NARAL is powered by its more than 2.5 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.