A menopause bill is the stage for a battle between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry, who have been in public disagreement since Dec. 4.
Berry called out Newsom for vetoing Assembly Bill 432 at The New York Times DealBook Summit, saying, “Back in my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill, not one, but two years in a row,” USA Today previously reported.
The actress went further, saying that Newsom had overlooked women by continuously vetoing the bill and that “he probably should not be our next president.”
Newsom did not stay quiet, however. His office responded to Berry’s criticism in a statement to People magazine that read, “The governor has deep admiration for Ms. Berry’s advocacy and looks forward to working with her and other stakeholders on this critical issue. He shares her goal of expanding access to menopause care that too many women struggle to get.”
What is AB 432?
Assembly Bill 432, also known as the Menopause Care Equity Act, was sent to Gov. Newsom’s desk in September and vetoed weeks later.
The bill would have made access to perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopausal care. Specifically, the bill would require insurance coverage for perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopausal care and would help physicians access courses in those fields.
Governor Newsom’s office released a statement on Oct. 13 saying that he vetoed the bill to avoid unintentionally raising health care costs for millions of women.
Newsom added that he would instead direct the California Health and Human Services Agency to identify policy changes and investments to add to next year’s budget.
Will Gavin Newsom run for president?
Newsom has not decided whether to run for president in 2028. In a taped interview with “CBS News Sunday Morning” that aired on Oct. 26, the former mayor of San Francisco said that while he is giving it “serious thought” to running for president, he will wait until the 2026 midterm to make a decision.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: AB 432, the menopause bill that has Gavin Newsom and Halle Berry at odds
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo and Anthony Robledo, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
