A measure that would have expanded the number of abortion providers in California has died in the state legislature. San Diego Senator Christine Kehoe decided to pull her controversial bill after it failed to advance.
Kehoe's measure would have allowed nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants to provide first-trimester abortions. She scaled back her bill to include only 41 providers statewide that are involved in a UC San Francisco pilot program.
Even so, a state senate committee deadlocked on the bill.
Vince Hall, a spokesman with Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, spoke to KPBS.
"This was a very disturbing alliance between those who seek to make all abortion illegal under all circumstances, and a few normally pro-choice members who frankly seemed confused about the research process that guided us to this legislation," he said.
Hall said the measure would have increased access to abortion services in California's rural counties.
