Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that over $140 million in state funding would be made available to keep Planned Parenthood afloat, as the state continues to search for additional resources and funding to allocate for the upcoming year. 

A court order in July ruled that $300 million in federal funding be removed from Planned Parenthood of California. This comes after the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into effect on July 4th, prohibiting Medicaid payments to large not-for-profit health clinics providing abortions, birth control, STI testing, and more. The Trump Administration argues that federal taxpayer money should not be utilized to promote abortion.   

10 million individuals who rely on their health care insurance to cover the cost will lose their coverage, as the bill aims to cut $1 trillion from health care programs.

The Trump Administration, with this bill, has sought to cut several federal programs that many in the country heavily rely on. Medi-Cal, one of the programs being severely impacted by these cuts, will see “up to 3.4 million residents lose coverage,” states the California Health Care Foundation. 

In a joint statement, Newsom and California leaders acknowledged the state’s readiness to continue defending the reproductive rights of their constituents. 

“California is a reproductive freedom state… and Trump’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood put all our communities at risk as people seek basic health care from these providers,” said Newsom. 

The state alone has 114 Planned Parenthood Facilities made available to communities in various locations. Back in September, Newsom signed AB 260, allowing healthcare providers to issue abortion care medications to patients anonymously. He also signed AB 125, safeguarding attorneys who are providing their assistance to access reproductive care. 

Jodi Hicks, CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, wrote, “President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ targeted attacks on Planned Parenthood are not only unconscionable, but a deliberate effort to undermine California’s values and promise of reproductive freedom.”

Genessa Razo, a Delano resident, expressed the significance of why women’s health and reproductive rights need to be protected at all costs. 

“Women are the ones who bring human life on this earth; that alone is a great reason why our health should be protected.  Women’s health is already overlooked, so having it protected is the bare minimum they could offer us,” said Razo.

According to the Gender and Equity Policy Institute, their findings conclude that in states where abortion bans are in place, mothers are two times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth compared to those who live in areas where it’s legal. 

California is one of the few states where abortion is legal, and Medicaid covers the cost of the procedure. However, it is banned at fetal viability.