(LOS ANGELES, Calif.) The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Sept. 13 to support a pilot project providing aid for those who live outside of California and are seeking an abortion and other healthcare services. 

The project was created on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June that overturned Roe V. Wade and Dobb’s v. Jackson.  Those decisions left it up to lawmakers in each city, county, and state to decide on whether to place hefty restrictions on when a pregnant person can have an abortion or eliminate their right to an abortion. 

The project was proposed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis and Chairwoman Holly J. Mitchell who recognized the need for safe access to abortion and other healthcare services. Their motion emphasizes the importance of safe access to abortion for women while other states banned these services. 

According to the board, the motion also supports Senator Sydney Kamlager’s legislation to make Los Angeles County a “safe haven” for people seeking abortions and healthcare outside their state lines. The pilot project is the first step to producing a reduced-cost and no-cost plan with the Department of Health Services. The board moved the legislation Mitchell and Solis proposed to the Department of Health Services to seek funding to cover the cost of services for the stated program. 

The overturning of Roe V. Wade ignited a national conversation about the healthcare system’s flaws surrounding abortion rights, healthcare access, and racial disparities. The overturning will primarily affect pregnant people living in states that usually follow a conservative voting pattern – also known as “red states” – and prohibit them from access to safe abortion and controlled birth control. 

“This motion is yet another step that demonstrates our Board’s commitment to preserve and protect women’s reproductive rights, including women who cannot get abortion-related services in their own home states,” Mitchell said in a press release. 

On September 13th, Temecula City Councilwoman Jessica Alexander released a proposal to ban abortions in Temecula County, located nearly 90 miles outside of Los Angeles County. She hopes to make the city a “Sanctuary City.” The Click has reached out to Alexander’s office for comment. 

Shortly after the historic court case was overturned in June, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1666 (AB 1666) into law to protect residents with the right to privacy surrounding their reproductive health and decisions. Alexander didn’t agree with this bill “I know there are some who would question whether protecting our unborn is a state matter or a city issue,” she said. “This is our city, and what happens in our city is our responsibility,” Alexander said according to the Los Angeles Times.

Regardless, once the Los Angeles pilot project is greenlit plus the passage of AB 1666, it will make California a “sanctuary” state for abortion rights.