California may become abortion destination for Arizonans

Protesters holding signs march from Pershing Square to Los Angeles City Hall during an abortion rights protest.

April 14, 2024 6:30 AM PT

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Sunday, April 14. I’m your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

California could become Arizona’s abortion “hot spot”
Pay hikes for city workers will add $1 billion to L.A.’s budget
Builders may fight ‘impact fees’ that fund municipal projects
And here’s today’s e-newspaper

California readies for Arizonans after ruling on Civil War-era abortion law

Abortion procedures increased in California in the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court’s historic overturning of Roe vs. Wade in June 2022. Some providers speculated that suddenly access-stripped out-of-staters sought care after new restrictions were installed.

Those same providers are now readying for a second wave. They believe California may become a “hot spot” for Arizonans after a decision Tuesday by that state’s Supreme Court that bans abortions except when the woman’s life is at risk. The ruling makes no exceptions for rape or incest.

In a “Twilight Zone” twist, Arizona will be readopting an 1864 law... inspired by California’s rules at the time.

Reporter Mackenzie Mays detailed preparations being made by several groups, including Planned Parenthood.

“It’s too soon for us to know exactly what this ruling will mean for us,” said Darrah DiGiorgio Johnson, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, regarding the Arizona decision. She said, however, staffers are taking “necessary steps” to ensure they’re ready to support a potential influx.

What do the numbers say?

Planned Parenthood operates regional clinics in Imperial and Riverside counties, which border Arizona, along with adjacent San Diego County. About 10% of those patients hail from outside California.

Arizonans wanting an abortion were already traveling to California because of their state’s previous abortion ban at 15 weeks, according to DiGiorgio Johnson. She said they are now in “an even more precarious position.”

Abortion data can be tricky due to undercounting because of patient privacy concerns. However, the available data show the current upswing in California.

In May 2022, right before Roe was overturned, the state reported 13,680 abortions that month, according to data from the Society for Family Planning.

Exactly one year later, the numbers jumped nearly 14% to 15,550 for May 2023.

The numbers of abortions have ebbed and flowed since, with March 2023 representing the peak at just over 16,000.

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California reported that medication abortions by their clinics increased by 18% statewide from June 2022-23.

The Guttmacher Institute is a nonprofit research organization that supports abortion access. It estimated more than 5,000 in-state abortions were provided to visitors in 2023.

“It’s our job as healthcare providers to be prepared for the worst-case scenario,” said Sue Dunlap, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. “That’s what’s going to make us ensure that we in California are able to take care of the potential surges.”

To read more, please check out the article here.

The week’s biggest stories

L.A. City workers strike outside City Hall in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles city politics and news

Pay hikes for city workers will add $1 billion to L.A.’s yearly budget by 2028, report says.
L.A.’s Pershing Square is getting another makeover. Will this time finally be the charm?
Copper thieves strike again, mutilating a 100-year-old monument in MacArthur Park.
Downtown L.A. is hurting. Frank Gehry thinks arts can lead a revival.

Crime, courts and protests

‘I can’t focus on anything but rage.’ Pro-Palestinian protests roil elite Pomona College.
Documents will be unsealed in L.A. city attorney and DWP corruption case, judge rules.
Shattered windows, slashed tires and GPS trackers: L.A. freeway heists shock jewelers.
Man who killed 6-year-old in freeway shooting gets 40 years to life.
Lancaster accuses county of $10-million “illegal profit” on Sheriff’s Department contract.
In nick of time, L.A. County adds staff to keep juvenile halls open. Many are skeptical it will last.
Video shows L.A. probation officers letting group beat teen in Los Padrinos juvenile hall.
‘It’s environmental racism’: Monterey County sued over farm chemicals near mostly Latino schools.
Oakland officials vote to rename airport despite San Francisco threatening to sue.
San Francisco man arrested after allegedly vandalizing mosque, leaving community ‘living in fear.’

O.J. Simpson’s death and impact

O.J. Simpson’s trial cast a long shadow on the LAPD — but brought few changes.
‘I’m gonna O.J. you’: How the Simpson case changed perceptions — and the law — on domestic violence.
How he got the O.J. shot seen around the world.

Latest on Shohei Ohtani

Ippei Mizuhara’s surrender inspires Shohei Ohtani to soar for Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani ‘grateful’ for investigation into ex-interpreter: ‘I’d like to focus on baseball.’
Why feds say Shohei Ohtani is a ‘victim’: Interpreter allegedly paid gambling debts pretending to be Dodger.
Shohei Ohtani milestone can’t hide Dodgers’ bullpen woes in loss to Padres.

Disneyland

Goofy sued for negligence, inflicting trauma, in Disneyland collision.
Disneyland touts a lifetime ban for disability cheats. That’s not what’s worrying some park-goers.

Coachella and entertainment news

Coachella: Peso Pluma, Lana Del Rey, Shakira’s surprise and the best of the rest of Day 1.
Girl Ultra, Eddie Zuko and more Latin artists tell us how they are prepping for Coachella.
The honeymoon is over: ‘The Golden Bachelor’ and his bride call it quits after 3 months.
‘The Sympathizer’ is a tense black comedy that’s also a moving story about friendship.
Toxic Masculinity and Big vs. Aidan: How ‘Sex and the City’s’ love triangle has aged.

Obituaries

Robert MacNeil, the stately journalist who brought news to PBS, dies at 93.
Eleanor Coppola, matriarch of the Coppola filmmaking family, dies at 87.
Outdoor enthusiast, Cal Poly SLO student, known as half of ‘Kenneth squared,’ falls to death.

More big stories

Two congressional candidates tied. Now, recount requests are complicating it even further.
From Pomona to Oakland, how a skater mapped California block by block from his board.
What do Masters champions get besides the green jacket? And what is on the trophy?
Coastal salmon fishing banned for a second year amid steep population declines.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard commandos seize Israeli-linked container ship near Strait of Hormuz.
L.A. to provide resources to hundreds of 99 Cents Only workers losing their jobs.
Still haven’t filed your taxes? How to avoid penalties or lost refunds.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.

Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

Dr. Gene Dorio kisses Robin Clough in the kitchen of their home.

We all know our fortunes can turn without much warning, especially as we age and the odds stack against us, raising the threat of our bodies gradually failing and our minds fading. But in just a couple of weeks, Robin Clough and Dr. Gene Dorio had gone from cruising through life to confronting death. With her type of cancer, life expectancy is often measured in months rather than years. “It was so hard to process, and I think my mind stopped me from processing it because it’s just too overwhelming,” Clough said.

More great reads

Latinx Files: A eulogy for my father.
Ukrainians contemplate the once unthinkable: Losing the war with Russia.
Small-business owners brace for uncertainty as $20 hourly fast-food wage takes effect.
Why changing U.S. demographics aren’t affecting the political balance of power.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].

For your weekend

(Illustration by Lindsey Made This / For The Times; Photo courtesy of Tia Mowry)

Going out

📺 TV star Tia Mowry of “Sister, Sister” fame gives us her routine for a “perfect Sunday.”
⚔️ The San Gabriel Valley’s Renaissance Pleasure Faire is back on Saturdays and Sundays with turkey legs and knights, starting at 10 a.m.
🐲 The 626 Night Market, the largest Asia-inspired night market, is on the move and in Santa Monica, beginning at 1 p.m.

Staying in

🎤 CBS is airing world famous singer and pianist Billy Joel‘s 100th consecutive at Madison Square Garden concert in New York, starting at 9 p.m.
🍎 Academy Award-winning actor Michael Douglas stars as founding father Benjamin Franklin in Apple TV+’s miniseries “Franklin.”
🧑‍🍳 Happy National Pecan Day! Here’s a recipe for Texas-style pecan pie from famed Oxbow Bakery.
✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, Sudoku, word search and arcade games.

L.A. Affairs

Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.

Illustration of a couple, both with white hair. Woman in a USC sweater, man in UCLA sit on a couch under Trojan and Bruin art

My husband, Brad, and I, both divorced and not in the market for anyone who didn’t ooze quality, had engaged in a keyboard courtship. He was avid, while I was reluctant at best. I refused to meet him for months, having been single for six years and not the least bit interested in sharing anything with anyone ever again. But he said he was willing to wait however long it took for me to muster up the courage, and he would even manage to overlook the fact that my diploma was from USC because he (unfortunately) was a devoted Bruin.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Carlos Lozano, news editor

Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.