Last Sunday, Governor Jerry Brown decided to veto SB 320, stopping a two-year effort by bill author Senator Connie Leyva (D-San Bernardino) to force California university health centers into the abortion business. The news brought joy and relief to the hearts of the pro-life community who fought long and hard to prevent the abortion industry from getting a foothold onto California’s public universities.
But California’s pro-choice governor didn’t veto SB 320 because he suddenly had a change of heart about the value of the unborn. Brown’s reasoning was pragmatic. In his veto message, Brown pointed out that the average distance of abortion providers from university campuses averaged between five and seven miles, “not a unreasonable distance,” Brown wrote. “Because the services required by this bill are widely available off-campus, this bill is not necessary.”
“We are thrilled that Governor Brown listened to our concerns and vetoed this bill that would have done terrible harm not only to unborn children, but to their young mother’s as well,” said California Family Council President Jonathan Keller. “The chemical abortion medication that would have been forced on to university campus health centers by this bill has a notorious reputation for being very painful and traumatic, causing not only physical pain to the mother, but psychological anguish that could last a lifetime.”
Other very active pro-life organizations also rejoiced at the veto news. “Today’s veto is a victory for all women, students, and taxpayers in California,” said president of Students for Life of America Kristan Hawkins, according to Life Site News. This was just one of the pro-life organizations that held rallies, met with university officials, as well as lobbied with California Family Council in Sacramento in opposition to the bill.
The other leaders in this fight included Californians for Life, Right to Life Kern County, Right to Life Central California, Pro-Life San Francisco, Concerned Women for America, the CA Catholic Conference, Faith and Public Policy, Capitol Resource Institute, Awake America of California, Crusade for Life, Eagle Forum of California, and the Salt and Light Council.
