NEW DELHI: Citing it to be too expensive for a state with a budget deficit of more than 30 billion dollars, California governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday rejected a bill that would have made condoms free for all public high school students.
“This bill would create an unfunded mandate to public schools that should be considered in the annual budget process,” Newsom wrote in a message explaining why he vetoed the bill, known as Senate bill 541, according to news agency AP.
California had about 1.9 million high school students enrolled in more than 4,000 schools last year, reported AP quoting the California Department of Education.
The bill, if had been passed, would have required all public schools that have grades nine through 12 to make condoms available for free to all students.
As part of educational and public health programs, it would have been a law for public schools with grades seven through 12 to allow condoms. The bill would also have made it “illegal for retailers to refuse to sell condoms to youth”.
Backing the bill, State Senate Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat from Los Angeles and the bill author had argued the bill would have helped “youth who decide to become sexually active to protect themselves and their partners from (sexually transmitted infections), while also removing barriers that potentially shame them and lead to unsafe sex.”
On the other hand, Newsom stressed that programs increasing access to condoms are “important to supporting improved adolescent sexual health.” However, he said the bill he vetoed was “one of several measures lawmakers passed this year that, when added together, would add 19 billion in costs to the state budget”.
“With our state facing continuing economic risk and revenue uncertainty, it is important to remain disciplined when considering bills with significant fiscal implications, such as this measure,” Newsom was quoted as saying by AP.