>> >>PEGGY: Just as a number of state around the country are enacting laws to make abortions
more difficult to obtain, a proposal to expand access to abortion is making its way through
committees in Sacramento.
Christen ke ho of San Diego has infrows dood senate bill 1338.
The bill would allow nurse practitioners, mid wives and physician assistants to perform
non surgical after they've completed and achieved clinical competency in a state mandated certification
plan.
My guest Vince hall is vice president of public affairs for planned parenthood in the Pacific
south west.
Thanks so much for joining us.
I guess the first question would be how much would these provisions actually change the
existing law?
>> >>VINCE HALL: They would make an important change in that we currently low those categories
of advanced practice clinicians you described; the certified nurse mid wifes, et set raw
to provide medication of abortion.
This bill would also allow them to provide a non surgical aspirations abortion.
That has been proven to be safe and effective.
It is the safety of those practitioners providing the service has been proven by a 4 and a half
year long study done by the University of California in partnership with the state of
California.
So that's the change.
>> >>PEGGY: When we're talking about aspirations abortions just to be clear we're talking about
it's the mostÊ I don't want to say popular, but the most used.
>> >>VINCE HALL: Certainly the most common.
>> >>PEGGY: Most common type of abortion and it happens before 16 weeks?
>> >>VINCE HALL: Yes.
Well, this bill would limit the availability of the procedure from an ad vanszed clinician
to just the first trimester.
Second trimesters have more complications, it requires more skill and that is reserved
for medical doctors currently under California law.
Only medical doctors can provide that procedure in the first trimester.
Other state have shown that these clinicians can provide that safely.
The study that's been done over the last 5 years here in California has shown through
18,000 procedures that these clinicians can perform the procedure very safely.
Patient satisfaction is very high when receiving this procedure from clinicians flt so it is
a logical next step because it addresses a very significant problem in California which
is that more than half of our counties don't have a single abortion provider.
So you have many women who have a constitutional right to choose, but no practical access to
an abortion provider.
>> >>PEGGY: Is that why planned parenthood has been running ads on the radio?
I want to take a look at the ad right now.
Let's take a look at it and then talk about why the support for this.
[BEGIN VIDEO] I'm asking for your help to pass two very important bills.
Both are critical to women's health.
If passed, they'll increase access to comprehensive reproductive health care.
You can help by urging our state senator Juan Vargas to stand with planned parenthood in
supporting this legislation.
[END VIDEO] >> >>PEGGY: So again apush for an areaÊ a
population of people who don't have access in San Diego county.
Is that a real problem?
>> >>VINCE HALL: Is problem more particularly in rural count counties and certainly senator
represents all of imperial county, Coachella valley and riverside county.
His constituents would benefit from this legislation.
He has not announced a position on the bill.
There is a critical vote coming up this Thursday.
It is our hope that the citizens of San Diego and the other parts of the senator district
will contact him to let him know they support this step.
>> >>PEGGY: There is some opposition, assemblyman brin Jones of the 77th assembly district,
San Diego's east county said quote my immediate response when I heard about this bill was
visceral.
I should nlt be shocked that moral failure this represents but fear what it says about
our society that we were actually looking for more ways to abort babies.
How would you respond to that sort of criticism?
>> >>VINCE HALL: The assembly member opposes whether abortion even in cases of rape and
incest.
He's masking his real position, but he's in the California state legislature.
The state of California has been supervising this study for the last 4 foo 5 years y.would
invite opponents of abortion to join planned parenthood in making abortion less necessary
in providing access to birth control.
Those are the only things that reduce the number of unintended pregnancies y.understand
that there are heart felt beliefs on both sides of the issue.
Our goal is to both reduce unintended pregnancy, reducing the need for abortion.
That same time, we are assuring that legal and safe abortion is available for any woman
who chooses to exercise that reproductive choice.
>> >>PEGGY: It's in committee today and Thursday.