Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing a firestorm from abortion rights advocates after vetoing a bill that would have shielded patients and providers from out-of-state extradition.
The Democratic governor rejected AB 2164, the Care Without Fear Act, on Sunday, drawing sharp criticism from reproductive rights groups and progressive figures who had pushed for the measure. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), would have barred future governors from granting extradition requests targeting people for legally protected abortion and gender-affirming care in California.
Newsom, 57, defended his decision in a veto message that emphasized executive authority over policy preferences. “While I share the author’s views on the importance of protecting these important healthcare services, extradition is an exclusively executive function,” he wrote. “When discretionary, that discretion is appropriately placed with the governor.”
The governor’s office declined to add further comment when reached about the criticism this week.
Social media influencer Cheyenne Hunt, who gained prominence publicizing sexual assault allegations against former congressman Eric Swalwell, tore into Newsom on Instagram Wednesday. Hunt has built a following as a progressive voice and did not hold back in her assessment of the veto.
“I would like Gavin Newsom to publicly explain why he just vetoed a bill that would have provided essential protections to women coming to California to seek reproductive health care,” Hunt said in her post.
Hunt directly challenged Newsom’s characterization of the bill as extreme, pointing to legislative momentum elsewhere. “In his letter explaining the veto, Newsom tries to describe this bill as if it’s really extreme and suggests that the decisions on extradition need to lay within the discretion of the governor, but 18 other states have already passed similar legislation,” she wrote. “So how extreme could this be?”
The bill’s supporters argue that codifying protections into law matters precisely because governors change. Amanda Barrow, a senior staff attorney at UCLA’s Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy, told Mother Jones that signed legislation carries more weight than executive discretion. “Laws are just on firmer footing when there are political changes at the executive level,” Barrow said.
Newsom’s veto message revealed his concern about constraining his successors. “I am troubled by the precedent that would be set if an outgoing administration agreed with the Legislature to erode the executive authority of an incoming governor based on their shared policy preferences, regardless of how righteous and well-intentioned those actions may be,” he wrote.
The governor also pointed to his record of strengthening healthcare protections in the state.
The extradition fight has taken on urgency since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, which cleared the way for states to ban abortion and pursue prosecutions across state lines. The issue escalated in January when Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced an indictment against Sonoma County physician Dr. Rémy Coeytaux for allegedly providing abortion pills to a Louisiana resident. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry then sought Coeytaux’s extradition, which Newsom blocked using his gubernatorial authority.
The veto leaves existing restrictions on arrests and cooperation with outside investigations untouched. But advocates warn that the governor’s retained discretion leaves providers vulnerable to political shifts.
“California cannot call itself a safe haven for reproductive freedom while leaving abortion providers just one election away from extradition,” said Pavitra Abraham, director of state campaigns for Reproductive Freedom for All, in an interview with Mother Jones.
Hunt’s final message to her followers underscored the betrayal felt by some progressive activists. “I don’t know what message he was trying to send with this veto, or to who,” she wrote. “But as someone who cares deeply about reproductive health care, the only message I’m getting is a big fat red flag.”
Newsom is scheduled to appear at a climate event in San Francisco next Tuesday.