Newsom Launches Service To Connect Women With Abortion Care In CA

CALIFORNIA — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced another stride the state has made toward bolstering reproductive rights and access to abortion services for people across the nation on Tuesday.

The state has launched a $1 million website that will help connect Californians and those who live out of state with reproductive health care. The service will also offer a tool that will help pregnant people find a provider and counceling on how to seek financial assistance for such services.

"As Republican states continue rolling back fundamental civil rights and even try to prevent people from accessing information online or crossing state lines for care, you’re welcome here in California and we’ll continue to fight like hell for you," Newsom said in a video introducing the tool.

Abortion.ca.gov is publicly funded, will promote the state's abortion services, list clinics and will link those in need to financial help for travel and lodging. The site also provides information to teenagers to let them know they don't need their parents permission to get an abortion in California.

There is a map showing the location of 166 abortion clinics statewide. People can click to see an entire map, or they can enter a city and get a list of clinics nearby. It says people who live in California might be able to get abortion medication by mail, foregoing the need to visit a clinic.

Newsom also announced that the website will not track anyone or keep tabs on personal information amid the privacy concerns women may face in Republican led states.

Those who oppose abortion rights have rallied against the use of public funding to elevate reproductive care, arguing that the state has other problems more deserving of public funding. But anti-abortion advocates haven't been able to gain any traction in a state that is dominated by Democratic lawmakers and where public polls show a majority of voters support abortion rights.

The website went live the same day that Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina unveiled a sweeping bill to enact a national abortion ban. Graham's latest pitch — which would ban the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy — would impose new limits even in blue states, where there are no restrictions on abortion in place. The move has divided Republicans and poses a political risk for the red party.

In a post to his Twitter account, Newsom juxtaposed Graham's bill with California's new website, saying Democrats are helping women while Republicans want to control them.

“That's their agenda,” Newsom tweeted. “CA's fighting back.”

Since some red states have begun to roll back access to abortion, California has moved staunchly in the opposite direction and Newsom has vowed to make the state a sanctuary for women and those seeking abortions.

READ MORE: 'Attack On American Freedom': CA Leaders React To Abortion Ruling

Newsom, along with the governors of Oregon and Washington have vowed to ramp up legal protections for abortion providers and pour resources into opening more clinics as the states gear up for a possible influx in patients.

The states are "creating the West Coast offensive. A road map for other states to stand up for women," Newsom has said.

Newsom previously signed legislation to help protect patients and providers in California from civil liability for providing or receiving abortion care in the state. The state also injected more than $200 million in additional funding for reproductive health care services.

The governor also signed an executive order, preventing medical records, patient data and other information from being shared by state agencies amid investigations launched by other states looking restrict abortion access.

Also, ahead of the bomb shell ruling, Newsom signed a law that eliminated out of pocket costs for those on private insurance plans.

Just months before election season, the democratic governor has not been subtle affirm his stance on such hot button issues while also taking aim at Republicans.

In July, Newsom aired $105,000 in ads on Fox News targeting Gov. Ron DeSantis, urging that Florida residents' freedom was under attack. He cited DeSantis' moves to ban books and curb access to abortion. Newsom also pledged $100,000 to Charlie Crist, a Democrat running against DeSantis in November, CNN reported.

Newsom and California leaders alike responded with vitriol to news that the U.S. Supreme Court had reversed landmark abortion protections earlier this year.

The high court struck down the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights case, ending a 49-year-old protection that placed abortion policies at the discretion of the states.

"People who seek abortion and related reproductive care are in a vulnerable place, particularly because of the obstacles they face, such as the lack of transportation, lodging, wage support or sick leave, and childcare," said Sen. Anna M. Caballero (D-Merced). "For those outside of California who seek an abortion, these barriers increase exponentially. With the ongoing attack on the right to abortion in many other States, initiatives to increase protections are needed now more than ever."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.