Some Republican Legislators May Withhold Vote From Budget Because of Inclusion of Abortion Funding
As many as eight Republican Assembly members might vote against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) state budget for fiscal year 2004-2005 because it would continue to allocate funding for abortions, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Schwarzenegger on Wednesday met with Democrats to try to finalize the state's $77.6 billion budget before a June 30 state constitutional deadline, but some Republican lawmakers continued to "quietly expres[s] their objection to several fees in the budget," the Chronicle reports. For example, Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth (R-Temecula) said he is concerned about funding for late-term abortions and abortions for minors without parental consent, according to the Chronicle. Schwarzenegger, who has said he supports abortion rights, is "powerless to change the funding" because state courts have ruled that the state must provide funding for some abortions through Medi-Cal, the Chronicle reports. A "handful" of Republican legislators vote against the budget every year because it includes funding for abortions, according to the Chronicle (Gledhill, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/24).
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