BUZZ
‘… fear is not a reason to end a life, and ending a life is not health care,’ young mother tells lawmakers
A California bill that advanced in the state Senate on Wednesday would expand a campus abortion mandate to community colleges.
Currently, every public college and university in California is required by law to provide abortion pills on campus. The legislation sponsored by Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, a San Francisco Democrat, would expand the mandate to community colleges starting Jan. 1, 2029.
In addition, the bill also would require all public higher education institutions to begin advertising the abortion pills that their campuses are mandated by law to provide.
The bill, AB 2540, passed the state Senate Committee on Education in a 5-2 party-line vote Wednesday and now heads to the Appropriations Committee for consideration.
Ahead of the vote, Leandra Wells with the California Family Council urged lawmakers to oppose the bill. She shared her experience facing an unplanned pregnancy as a poor college student.
“I was overwhelmed and afraid …This bill tells women that an abortion pill is the easiest solution, but fear is not a reason to end a life, and ending a life is not health care,” the policy engagement coordinator said.
“What I needed was real support,” she told the committee. “A local pregnancy center gave me food resources, free ultrasounds, affordable baby essentials, accessible childcare, and parenting classes.”
Wells said she finished her degree three weeks after her son was born.
“This bill tells women they cannot have an education and be a mother, but we all know women are far more capable than that,” she said.
However, Democrats backing the bill say it will expand access to a “critical” service.
“Reproductive health care is essential health care. We can no longer allow access to this care to depend on where a student is enrolled,” Assemblymember Stefani stated in a news release.
“… we are closing a critical gap and ensuring that community college students—one of the most diverse and economically vulnerable populations in our state—have the same access to care as their peers at four-year institutions,” she stated.
Groups supporting the bill include Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and the University of California Student Association.
In 2023, California became the first state to require its public universities to provide abortions on campus.
Since then, thousands of unborn babies have been aborted under the mandate. Meanwhile, pro-life leaders continue to voice concerns about coercion, medical risks, and trauma resulting from the law, The College Fix reported previously.
Despite these concerns, other Democrat-led states have passed similar laws in subsequent years, including New York and Illinois.
Recent College Fix analyses found that very few colleges and universities in New York and Illinois advertise prenatal care or other services for mothers who choose life for their babies.
MORE: Every public Illinois university must offer abortions. None provide prenatal care.
