California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected a invoice on Sunday that may have made free condoms out there to all public highschool college students, arguing it was too costly for a state with a price range deficit of greater than $30 billion.

California had about 1.9 million highschool college students enrolled in additional than 4,000 faculties final 12 months, in keeping with the California Department of Education.

“This bill would create an unfunded mandate to public schools that should be considered in the annual budget process,” Newsom wrote in a message explaining why he vetoed the invoice, generally known as Senate invoice 541.

The invoice is one in every of tons of handed by California’s Democratic-dominated state Legislature earlier than lawmakers adjourned final month. Newsom has been signing and vetoing laws since then, together with rejecting payments on Saturday to ban caste-based discrimination, restrict the value of insulin and decriminalize possession and use of some hallucinogens.

The invoice would have required all public faculties which have grades 9 via 12 to make condoms out there free of charge to all college students. It would have required public faculties with grades seven via 12 to permit condoms to be made out there as a part of academic or public well being applications.

And it will have made it unlawful for retailers to refuse to promote condoms to youth.

State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat from Los Angeles and the writer of the invoice, had argued the invoice would have helped “youth who decide to become sexually active to protect themselves and their partners from (sexually transmitted infections), while also removing barriers that potentially shame them and lead to unsafe sex.”

Newsom stated applications growing entry to condoms are “important to supporting improved adolescent sexual health.” But he stated this invoice was one in every of a number of measures lawmakers handed this 12 months that, when added collectively, would add $19 billion in prices to the state price range.

“With our state facing continuing economic risk and revenue uncertainty, it is important to remain disciplined when considering bills with significant fiscal implications, such as this measure,” Newsom stated.

Also on Sunday, Newsom signed a legislation aimed a electrifying the state’s fleet of college buses. Starting in 2035, the legislation would require any new bus bought or contracted by faculty districts to be zero-emission.

California’s public faculty districts that present their very own transportation personal about 15,800 faculty buses, of which 10,800 are powered by diesel gasoline, in keeping with a 2022 report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

The legislation is a part of California’s plan to section out the usage of fossil fuels. State rules will ban the sale of recent gas-powered automobiles in California by 2035.

Exciting information! Hindustan Times is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe right this moment by clicking the hyperlink and keep up to date with the most recent information! Click here!

Get Latest World News together with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.