California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a sharp rebuke to the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his call for a review of the abortion medication mifepristone, a move Newsom derides as political rather than scientific. In a recent statement, Newsom noted that mifepristone has been FDA-approved for over two decades and is critical to reproductive healthcare, with RFK Jr.'s request arising from dubious claims made by the conservative Ethics & Public Policy Center, despite no new scientific evidence suggesting a need to revisit the drug's safety.
Responding to the ongoing controversies and legal battles surrounding abortion rights, Governor Newsom has taken several proactive steps to ensure that California remains a bastion for reproductive freedom. The state's 2025-2026 May Revision aims to expand CalRx's authority for a broader response to potential threats against access to essential medications like mifepristone, additionally, in May of last year, Newsom signed legislation to provide care for Arizona patients in California following their own state's restrictive abortion laws; these actions illustrate California's assertive front on the issue, especially considering the turbulence post-Dobbs decision.
As part of a concerted effort to maintain reproductive rights, Newsom has spearheaded various initiatives, some of which include the launch of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a coalition he established in February 2023, as well as stocking up on Misoprostol in anticipation of legal challenges. Newsom's administration has also been vocal at the national level, filing an amicus curiae brief with the SCOTUS in a case involving mifepristone; the Court sided with the FDA in June 2024, marking a victory Newsom hailed as crucial for governors' ability to provide healthcare services.
Going beyond policy measures, Newsom's administration has also engaged in public awareness activities; his First Partner, Siebel Newsom, actively participated in dialogues with the California Legislative Women's Caucus and championed storytelling around reproductive rights on the steps of the California Capitol in January 2023. In addition, last year saw the pardon of historic abortion provider Laura Miner and the passage of Proposition 1 to constitutionally protect reproductive freedom, both signaling the state's firm and continuing commitment to these rights despite the shifting political landscapes.
