Abortion services expansion bill rejected by committee

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A bill expanding the pool of abortion providers is in limbo after being rejected Thursday by a state senate committee. It would have allowed specially trained nurse practitioners, doctors assistants and nurse midwives to perform first trimester abortions.

But at least one committee member said he wasn't presented with enough information to make such an important decision.

"Would you be willing to submit to a surgical procedure by a non-medical doctor, any kind of surgical procedure if someone spent a few minutes saying, 'Yeah, well we think that's OK,'" St. Sen. Mark Wyland, R-Escondido, said.

Some midwives and nurses already perform abortions under a federal health department waiver. The bill would have legalized it permanently. It still may, a revote is expected next month.

KGO-TV San Francisco, CA contributed to this report.

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