The following comes from a January 20 California Family Alliance article by Lori Arnold:

On the eve of the 43rd anniversary of legalized abortion in the United States, the California Assembly passed a new resolution praising abortion rights and the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. Former Assembly speaker Toni Atkins introduced House Resolution (HR) 32 earlier this month, which reads in part:

“Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, that the Assembly urges the President of the United States and the United States Congress to express their support for a woman’s fundamental right to control her own reproductive decisions, as well as their support for access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including the services provided by Planned Parenthood …”

On Tuesday, the resolution passed the Assembly by a vote of 53-22, with four Members not recording a vote. During the floor debate before the vote, Assembly Members Shannon Grove, Jim Patterson, Marie Waldron and James Gallagher each gave spirited interventions in opposition to the resolution. Republicans Catharine Baker, Ling Ling Chang, and Brian Maienschein broke with their party to vote in favor of the proposal, while three Republicans had no votes recorded (Travis Allen, Kristin Olsen and David Hadley). Not a single Democrat opposed the resolution.

In addition to HR 32, a California state Senator has resurrected her own legislation extolling the “virtues” of Planned Parenthood. The resolution, originally titled “Relative to Planned Parenthood,” was introduced last August by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara). Jackson recently amended it using the more innocuous phrase “women’s reproductive health” in place of “Planned Parenthood.”

Largely symbolic, the resolution asks the President and the Congress to support access to “comprehensive reproductive health care, including the services provided by Planned Parenthood, and to oppose efforts to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood.”

Although Planned Parenthood appears to be losing its luster nationally, California’s liberal legislative caucus continues to dig in their heels, obstinately pushing forward their agenda to provide abortions at any cost. Consider these actions over the past few years:

Pregnancy Care Clinics have been ordered to promote abortion in their lobbies, literature or websites.

Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for abortions were increased by 40 percent while all other reimbursements for medical providers and hospitals were cut by 10 percent.

Safety standards for women have been compromised after certain classes of nurses across the state were given the green light to perform surgical abortions.

Access to abortion has increased after building regulations for abortion clinics have been eliminated.