California’s superintendent of public instruction, Jack O’Connell, and state Attorney General Bill Lockyer filed a lawsuit last week against the Bush administration over an abortion provision in a federal spending bill.
The provision, part of an omnibus appropriations bill passed by Congress in December, would cut off funding for a range of federal programs, including school safety programs, if a state discriminates against a health-care provider that will not provide abortions or referrals. Anti-abortion activists supported the legislation, arguing it would prevent states from forcing doctors to perform abortions against their will.
Mr. O’Connell said politicians could hold education aid hostage because of politically charged battles over abortion rights. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco.