On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom threw out a bill that aimed to provide free condoms to all public high school students, citing concerns about the state’s budget deficit, which exceeded $30 billion.
According to estimates from legislative staff, the annual cost of implementing the bill would have been in the low millions of dollars. California boasted an enrollment of approximately 1.9 million high school students spread across over 4,000 schools during the previous year, as reported by the California Department of Education.
Senate Bill 541 was one of numerous bills passed by the Democratic-majority California State Legislature before their adjournment last month. Since then, Governor Newsom has been both signing and vetoing legislation, including rejecting bills on Saturday that sought to outlaw caste-based discrimination, set price limits on insulin, and decriminalize the possession and use of certain hallucinogens.
The bill in question would have mandated that all public schools offering grades nine through twelve provide free condoms to their students. Additionally, public schools encompassing grades seven through twelve would have been required to make condoms available as part of educational or public health initiatives. Moreover, it would have become illegal for retailers to refuse condom sales to youth.
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