Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to help Arizonans get abortions in California. Here's what to know

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to propose legislation to make it easier for Arizonans to seek abortions in his state, he announced Sunday.

Health care providers in Arizona can provide abortion care for up to 15 weeks, but on June 8 the state's 1864 abortion ban goes back into effect. The change will prompt many Arizonans to travel out of state to access abortion care, perhaps to the neighboring state of California.

What is Newsom's proposal?

Newsom's proposal would offer Arizona abortion providers an expedited way to get licensed in California, where abortion is legal and protected. Newsom said he hopes the process for Arizona providers would take as little as five to 10 days to be approved if the bill passes.

Democrats hold the majority in each body of California's Legislature. Its Assembly consists of 62 Democrats and 18 Republicans, while its Senate consists of 32 Democrats and eight Republicans. In 2022 and 2023, the California Legislature passed dozens to laws aimed at expanding abortion access.

Newsom's announcement came in direct response to the Arizona Supreme Court's April 9 decision because California is anticipating a wave of patients to arrive from Arizona. The legislation would help doctors from Arizona treat the wave of patients traveling from their state to California to receive care. Newsom hopes the law will be in place by May 1.

He plans to present the bill as an emergency measure with the California Legislative Women's Caucus sometime this week.

How did we get here?

Arizona's abortion ban was enacted in 1864, long before Arizona became a state on Feb. 14, 1912.

After the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973, the State Court of Appeals issued an injunction against the pre-statehood ban. When the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe through the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization in June 2022, conservative activists in Arizona petitioned the courts to remove the injunction against the ban.

Those actions eventually led the Arizona Supreme Court to uphold the Civil War-era abortion ban.

What does Arizona's abortion ban entail?

Abortions can be provided in Arizona under the state's current law, up to 15 weeks of pregnancy, until at least June 8. After that, the pre-statehood ban will be in effect and abortions cannot be provided unless necessary to save the life of the mother. However, the "life of the mother" exception does not provide specifics.

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The law mandates a two- to five-year prison sentence for anyone aiding an abortion. It isn't clear if the mother or patient could be prosecuted.

Medication abortions are included in the ban.

While it is illegal to provide "an abortion-inducing drug via courier, delivery or mail service" in Arizona, the law doesn't identify if it's illegal to receive abortion drugs through the mail. As a result, some Arizonans could end up turning to obtaining abortion pills from suppliers outside of the state or the country.

Reach reporter Morgan Fischer at [email protected] or on X, formally known as Twitter, @morgfisch.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: California bill to offer Arizona abortion providers licenses in state