California Gov. Jerry Brown should veto a bill that mandates abortion drugs at state university campus health centers, said pro-life advocates, citing both financial and ethical objections.  

“California politicians put the interests of the abortion industry ahead of the needs of both students and the colleges and universities with this shortsighted vote today,” Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, said Aug. 29.

The bill passed the State Senate on Aug 30 by a 26-13 vote and heads to the governor’s desk. It mandates that all on-campus student health centers at University of California and California State University campuses provide the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol, which work together to cause an abortion.

In its action alert on the bill, the California Catholic Conference said the state “should have no role in encouraging or funding abortions, which take the life of a human being, in our public post-secondary educational institutions – or anywhere, for that matter.” It said the bill “inappropriately requires the state treasurer to accept donations and administer an abortion promotion fund.”

The bill as written claims to avoid taxpayer funding. It would fund startup costs such as equipment and training through the Women’s Foundation of California, Tara Health Foundation and other private donors who have said they will grant up to $200,000 to each campus health center. Donors plan separate $200,000 grants to the two university systems for 24-hour medical advice lines, telemedicine services and billing services.

The health centers must comply by the year 2022.

Critics said the drug abortion process is traumatic and dangerous. College women would have to have an induced miscarriage in their dorm room or shared bathroom facilities.

Full story at Catholic News Agency.