UPDATE as of Wednesday, 4/28/2021: The California Senate voted to remove SB 65 from the Senate Human Services Committee and send it back to the Senate Rules Committee. On April 28th, the Rules Committee decided to send it to Senate Appropriations; Appropriations has until May 21st to advance the bill to the Senate floor.

We thank Senate Leader Atkins for acting to keep the bill alive, and Senator Skinner for authoring the bill and staying the course to protect birthing people in California. We are deeply thankful to everyone supporting SB 65 – your calls, tweets, and emails make all the difference.

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SB 65, California’s Momnibus Bill to address maternal and infant mortality disparities, was held by the State Senate’s Human Services Chair. Before it was held by Senator Hurtado, SB 65 had no registered opposition, and had unanimous support in the Senate Health Committee, with several members asking to join as co-authors. Now the bill is at risk, as it only has until April 28th to be heard in committee before it can move through the legislative process.

As written, SB 65 would provide additional health care via extended Medi-Cal eligibility for postpartum people, doula care, investment in the midwife workforce, and cash assistance for people with very low incomes through pregnancy and in the first years of their babies’ lives, all throughout California. These comprehensive services are needed to reduce the disproportionate health disparities that Black and Indigenous birthing people and babies face in California. SB 65 also added important state oversight to the boards investigating maternal and infant death to gain better understanding and make recommendations on how to reduce such disparities.

News that the bill would be held came as supporters and witnesses waited to testify on its behalf before the committee. This happened at the same time that the guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin was read. People around the world took the verdict as a sign of hope, that this country’s system of laws and policy may in fact have the ability to uphold the sanctity of Black lives. But for those waiting in vain to testify for SB 65 in California, it did not feel like Black lives were being protected, as politics got in the way of protecting people who face obstacles to healthy birth outcomes in our state — disproportionately Black and Indigenous people.

For many of us working for a more just future for Black lives, it is important that the lives we say matter are meaningful to us more than in just death. Making sure that we are actively working to dismantle systemic barriers, including socio-economic and institutional racism, is an essential part of the work. There is no excuse for SB 65 to be held. The need is obvious, the support is resounding, and Black and Indigenous lives matter. The California Legislature needs to show that they are willing to take action to protect not just Black and Indigenous birthing people, but everyone who will benefit from the passage of this bill, which includes millions of people in California.