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Sen. Nancy Skinner Introduces Bill to Affirm State as ‘Safe Haven’ for Abortion, Gender Affirming Care

If passed, bail agents and bounty hunters would be prohibited from apprehending people traveling from California to escape criminal prosecution or imprisonment in their own state’s criminal laws on abortion and gender-affirming care. Those who do so could be guilty of a misdemeanor, face one-year of prison time and lose their license to operate in California.

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California State Senator for District 9 Nancy Skinner speaks about the rising omicron variant cases in California at Native American Health Center in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 22, 2021. (Harika Maddala/ Bay City News)
California State Senator for District 9 Nancy Skinner speaks about the rising omicron variant cases in California at Native American Health Center in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 22, 2021. (Harika Maddala/ Bay City News)

By Olivia Wynkoop | Bay City News Foundation

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, will introduce a bill on Monday that will solidify California’s status as a “safe haven” for abortion and gender-affirming care.

Set to be introduced on the first day of the new legislative session, Skinner’s bill would ensure out-of-state residents entering California to seek out abortion or gender-affirming procedures will not be prosecuted for such care.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, California lawmakers have cracked down to strengthen their stance on safe and legal abortion care. California voters also approved the constitutional amendment to guarantee the right to abortion and contraception services.

But on the other hand, 13 states have made it a felony to receive or give abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

If passed, bail agents and bounty hunters would be prohibited from apprehending people traveling from California to escape criminal prosecution or imprisonment in their own state’s criminal laws on abortion and gender-affirming care. Those who do so could be guilty of a misdemeanor, face one-year of prison time and lose their license to operate in California.

The bill would also prevent out-of-state residents from being denied housing and food assistance as a punishment for undergoing their procedures.

“Last year the Legislature, Governor Newsom, and California voters took bold action, guaranteeing the right to an abortion and gender-affirming care. But a growing number of states have done the opposite, putting residents who seek essential health care at risk of being prosecuted,” Skinner said in a statement. “My ‘Safe Haven’ bill will ensure that those who come to California fleeing persecution by other states will be free from the worry that a bounty hunter could snatch them up and send them back.”

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Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025

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Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025

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IN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94

Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

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William "Bill" Patterson, 94. Photo courtesy of the Patterson family.

William “Bill” Patterson, 94, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, at his home in Oakland, CA. He was born on May 19, 1931, to Marie Childress Patterson and William Benjamin Patterson in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Dunbar High School and traveled to Oakland, California, in 1948. William Patterson graduated from San Francisco State University, earning both graduate and undergraduate degrees. He married Euradell “Dell” Patterson in 1961. Bill lovingly took care of his wife, Dell, until she died in 2020.

Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

He served on the boards of Oakland’s Urban Strategies Council, the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and the Oakland Workforce Development Board.

He was a three-term president of the Oakland branch of the NAACP.

Bill was initiated in the Gamma Alpha chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

In 1997 Bill was appointed to the East Bay Utility District Board of Directors. William Patterson was the first African American Board President and served the board for 27 years.

Bill’s impact reached far beyond his various important and impactful positions.

Bill mentored politicians, athletes and young people. Among those he mentored and advised are legends Joe Morgan, Bill Russell, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, and Lionel Wilson to name a few.

He is survived by his son, William David Patterson, and one sister, Sarah Ann Strickland, and a host of other family members and friends.

A celebration of life service will take place at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (Calvin Simmons Theater) on November 21, 2025, at 10 AM.

His services are being livestreamed at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1250167107131991/

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Euradell and William Patterson scholarship fund TBA.

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