California governor vetoes bill to make free condoms available for high school students, citing cost

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have made free condoms available to all public high school students. Newsom said Sunday (Oct. 8, 2023) he supports increased access to condoms for teens, but vetoed the bill because it would have cost too much. He said this bill was one of several passed by lawmakers this year that jointly would have added $19 billion to the state budget. California had about 1.9 million high school students enrolled statewide last year. Supporters said the bill would have allowed teens who choose to become sexually active to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections.