NEW STATE LAW EXPANDS ABORTION ACCESS

By Miriam Raftery

October 10, 2013 (Sacramento ) – Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law Assembly Bill 154, by Assemblywoman Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego).  The measure allows nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives and physician assistants to perform certain first-trimester abortions.

“The bill is intended to address the shortage of abortion providers that leads to burdensome travel requirements and long wait times for women, who can end up requiring a more complicated and expensive procedure if too much time passes,” Atkins’ website states, adding that the bill requires rigorous training and competency standards.

The bill drew fire from Brian Jones (R-Santee), an opponent of abortion..  In a press statement, Jones said,  “Permitting nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwife or physician assistants to perform abortions is dangerous for women and has nothing to do with ‘women’s health.”  It’s truly disheartening and disingenuous that Governor Brown and Legislative Democrats created a law to lower the standard of care for the women under the guise of creating ‘access’.”