Maternity care is making a comeback as new California laws take hold

After a rural California hospital closed its maternity ward in 2022, pregnant women in Plamas County would have to travel at least 70 miles to give birth. It was among dozens of California communities that lost labor and delivery services in the past decade.

this however, it may change by next yearafter Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two new laws that seek to ease California’s maternity care deserts, CalMatters’ Kristen Huang writes.

Due to rising costs, staffing problems and declining birth rates, Plumas Regional Hospital in Quincy closed its maternity ward three years ago. Since then, patients giving birth have had to travel hours or north to Susanville; south to Truckee over winding mountain roads; or even further east to Nevada where the hospitals are larger.

But in October, Newsom signed a bill to create a 10-year pilot program allowing hospitals, including Plumas, to set up back-up maternity wards that operate only when needed instead of 24/7. He also signed another measure removing some licensing requirements for birthing centers to obtain state approval. Usually run by midwives, birthing centers accept low-risk pregnancies. At least 20 birth centers have closed in California in the past three years.

Due to the new legislation, the hospital aims to open an on-call maternity ward next year. It also plans to open a birthing center after facility leaders noticed a growing demand for it: A community midwife delivered more babies in people’s homes in 2022 than the hospital delivered in its labor ward, according to the hospital’s director of business development.

Lori Link, a certified nurse-midwife at the hospital, said many of her current patients ask when the birthing center will open — proof to her that the hospital’s plans for birthing care are justified because the community wants it.

• link: “I think it’s a testament to the power of listening to women.”

Read more here.

Let’s dive into some California environmental news:

• Colorado River Conversations: California and six other western states along the Colorado River faced a federal deadline Tuesday in their negotiations over how to divide water from the overflowing river. Despite two years of talks, states remain deadlocked on how much they should cut water use. Current river management guidelines expire in 2026, and federal officials have threatened to step in if states can’t reach an agreement. The federal administration under President Donald Trump has not yet specified what it might do if it were to intervene. Read more by Rachel Becker of CalMatters.

• CA at climate conference: Governor Newsom on Monday denounced the Trump administration’s absence from the United Nations climate conference in Brazil as “pretty stunning.” The governor, along with other state officials and lawmakers, led a delegation to the conference on behalf of California, symbolically standing in for the U.S. government. California officials say attending the conference is valuable because it helps build international relations, informs policy and allows the state to join agreements with other regional governments. But critics say California’s presence is performative and does not represent local interests. Read more by Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Alejandro Lazo of CalMatters.

The US Department of Justice said Tuesday it is investigating UC Berkeley after protesters clashed outside an event on campus is held by Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote conservative values ​​on college campuses. UC Berkeley was the organization’s final stop on its tour, as well as its first event on a California university campus since its co-founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in September.

Ella Carter-Clauschi and Krissa Olson of CalMatters College Journalism Network were on hand to report that while most of the speeches at the event focused on Kirk and criticized the protests on campus, demonstrators outside chanted “Fascists out of Berkeley,” “Trump must go now,” and “Fuck you, Charlie Kirk.” Students clashed with police wearing riot gear and wielding batons and throwing weapons, leading to at least four arrests.

Read more here.

Speaking of UC: The 26-member UC Board of Regents sets policies for the UC system and all of its campuses, including on tuition increases. But currently, only one of the two student positions on the board has voting rights. Last year, one student regent voted in favor of raising the non-resident tuition fee, while the other student regent, who could not vote, dissented. The incident underscores the arguments of some in the UC Student Association, who say students cannot be represented by just one voice. Read more by Khadeejah Khan and Phoebe Huss of CalMatters’ College Journalism Network.

The state’s highest court ruled a loss for the union representing Los Angeles police officers Monday, siding with the city of Los Angeles that a capital letter warning about filing a false complaint against an officer is a violation of free speech. Read more by Nigel Duara of CalMatters.