Bill allowing killing of one-month-old newborns, AB 2223, passed with the help of these 11 California assemblymembers.
QUICK FACTS:
- California bill AB 2223 passed the Assembly Health Committee in an 11-3 vote earlier this week.
- The bill removes criminal liability from mothers in relation to “all pregnancy outcomes,” including the death of a newborn for any reason during the period following birth, according to the official Senate analysis of the legislation prepared by State Senate Legislative Director Alison Merrilees.
- The bill can be “interpreted to immunize a pregnant person from all criminal penalties for all pregnancy outcomes,” the analysis states, “including the death of a newborn for any reason during the ‘perinatal’ period after birth.”
- The same analysis defines the “perinatal” period as either the period of time “from approximately past 22 (or 28) completed weeks of pregnancy up to 7 completed days of life” or “one month following delivery.”
- Only Republican assemblymembers Frank Bigelow, Heath Flora, and Marie Waldron opposed AB 2223.
- All 11 assemblymembers who voted in favor of the bill are Democrats.
- AB 2223 now goes to the California Assembly Appropriations Committee, and then to an Assembly floor vote.
LIST OF LEGISLATORS WHO VOTED ‘YES’ FOR AB 2223 (CLICK NAME FOR INFO):
- Jim Wood
- Cecilia M. Aguiar-Curry
- Joaquin Arambula
- Wendy Carrillo
- Brian Maienschein
- Kevin McCarty
- Adrin Nazarian
- Luz M. Rivas
- Freddie Rodriguez
- Miguel Santiago
- Ash Kalra
READ AB 2223:
READ THE BILL’S OFFICIAL ANALYSIS:
BACKGROUND:
- Another abortion bill, signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom last month, provides free or low-cost abortions for the poor, and covers the cost of travel, hotel, and daycare for out-of-state women who want to end their pregnancy.
- Gov. Newsom wants California to be a “sanctuary” for out-of-state mothers looking to end the life of their babies. “We’ll be a sanctuary,” Newsom said about abortion-seekers, adding that he is “looking at ways to support that inevitability and looking at ways to expand our protections.”
- The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision this summer on a challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion.
