San Mateo Supervisors Introduce Pro-Choice Resolution

REDWOOD CITY, CA — San Mateo Supervisors Dave Pine and Warren Slocum introduced a resolution Friday pledging the “unwavering support” of the County to protect reproductive rights. The resolution directs county staff to develop an action plan within four weeks to implement that commitment.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will consider the resolution during their Tuesday meeting.

“We cannot stand by and watch as the rights of women are eroded,” Pine said in a statement. “It is unconscionable that in 2022, we are again debating whether a woman should have control over her own reproductive decisions.”

The County has long supported access to healthcare and reproductive health, with an emphasis on low-income women of color. That includes funding a network of community clinics, and supporting programs for education and healthcare for young children. The County also joined in an amicus brief in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the subject of a leaked court opinion.

“It’s imperative that every individual who believes in fundamental rights under our Constitution should make their voice heard, and that includes the County of San Mateo,” Slocum added.

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a $125 million Reproductive Health Package, which includes $40 million to offset the cost of getting an abortion, $20 million to subsidize abortion care for Covered California consumers, $20 million in scholarships and loan repayments to health care providers who provide reproductive services, and more. Newsom is also pushing a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights in the state constitution.

A 2021 poll from the Public Policy Institute of California showed that 72 percent of Californians, including 54 percent of California Republicans, opposed overturning Roe v. Wade. Those figures have remained more or less consistent since the poll started in 2005.

Thousands of people across California and the country have marched in favor of reproductive rights, with some rallies being met by pro-life counterprotesters.