Following the Trump administration’s attacks on reproductive healthcare, the state of California is picking up the check, Governor Gavin Newsom announced this week.
The $140 million in promised funding will help the state’s more than 100 Planned Parenthood clinics continue operating “until the state can find additional resources next year,” Newsom’s office said.
Central Coast Planned Parenthood clinics are being shorted $17 million (half their budget) by the federal defund, which was enacted earlier this year via the prevention of Medicaid reimbursements. It’s something legislators and activists have called an act of retaliation towards clinics still providing abortion services. However, that money is primarily used not for abortions, but preventative care, such as birth control and STI screenings.
The defund led to lawsuits from Planned Parenthood and multiple state attorneys general, but despite that legal pushback, the funding has not been returned.
While Planned Parenthood California Central Coast does not know at this time exactly how much the region’s clinics will be receiving and when, Chief Executive Officer Jenna Tosh said she’s grateful for the state’s action as they weather what’s been called a “backdoor abortion ban.”
“This commitment ensures that, for now, Planned Parenthood California Central Coast can maintain all services, at all locations, and continue to care for every patient who comes through our doors,” Tosh said.
Newsom’s bandaid is just the beginning, according to an October 23 press release. In 2026, state leaders “intend to identify additional resources so Planned Parenthood health centers can continue to provide critical services to Californians.”
“California is a reproductive freedom state, and this latest investment continues to show our belief in protecting access to essential healthcare in times of distress,” Newsom said. “Trump’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood put all our communities at risk as people seek basic health care from these community providers.”
In a statement, Senate Pro Tem Elect Monique Limón also noted that California has worked for years to protect a woman’s right to reproductive medical care, including protections for care providers, adding safeguards to patients’ medical privacy, and expanding access to contraception.
“While women continue to face constitutional attacks on their reproductive freedom, California is and will always be committed to full reproductive medical care,” she said.
