California Lawmakers Defend Doctor as States Clash Over Abortion

California political leaders are rallying behind a Sonoma County doctor at the center of an interstate abortion dispute.

Louisiana officials have charged physician Dr. Rémy Coeytaux, a physician in Healdsburg, with providing abortion medication to a woman in the Gulf Coast state, where the procedure is banned. Leaders there asked California to send him back to face charges — a request Gov. Gavin Newsom refused, citing California laws designed to shield abortion providers from out-of-state prosecution.

The case tests how far abortion bans can reach beyond state borders — and the strength of California’s telemedicine abortion shield law, passed in September 2023. It’s part of a broader clash that’s deepened since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, leaving states to chart opposing paths on abortion.

“Louisiana should be ashamed for attempting to drag this country backward by criminalizing health care and threatening doctors for doing their jobs,” East Bay Assemblymember Mia Bonta said in a statement.

Coeytaux has not been charged in California in connection with the Louisiana allegations. He declined an interview request. In a statement provided by his attorney, Nancy Northup — president and CEO of abortion rights group Center for Reproductive Rights — wrote: “These allegations are just that: allegations. As such, they are unproven and should not be reported as fact.”

Northup argued the case reflects a broader conflict between states that protect abortion access and those that ban it. Louisiana is “going after doctors for allegedly harming women” while enforcing an abortion ban that “puts women’s lives at risk every day,” she said.

Doctors stress that abortion pills are widely used and safe, including when provided via telehealth. Many patients seek medication by mail because abortion is banned where they live.

Legal experts say the case could have sweeping implications. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, states have taken sharply divergent approaches to abortion.

California has passed a series of laws aimed at protecting providers and patients from out-of-state civil and criminal actions tied to abortion care. Louisiana, meanwhile, has one of the nation’s strictest abortion bans.

“Louisiana is a state that denies women the right to control their own bodies,” said Assemblymember Chris Rogers, who represents Sonoma County. “We will not accept their attempt to control when and how our medical professionals choose to render care as well.”

Rogers said the state went further by publicly posting the doctor’s personal information, a move he described as punitive and potentially dangerous.

Whether states can enforce their abortion laws beyond their borders is likely to face further court challenges. For now, California officials say they will not assist other states in prosecuting doctors for care that is legal here.