Meanwhile ...

So, because of the debacle of the 2010 election in which the GOP lost essentially every state-wide election, both of the major parties are pretty much ignoring California.  The presidential candidates come into the state only to raise money.  Being used simply as a super-sized ATM machine is, I suppose, disrespectful, but it has its upside.  We are not being barraged by television commercials and robo-calls.

And so the state has gone its merry way, doing things that lots of countries (not to mention states) wish they could.  This is not to say that my state doesn't have problems.  It does.  Major problems.  We still have unemployment in the double digits and the state budget continues to hemorrhage red ink.  Education at all levels is being gutted, as are programs which protect the vulnerable.  Still, there is some good news in California.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday signed 25 health-related bills, including controversial legislation that extends for two years a study program that allows non-surgical abortions to be performed by a limited number of nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives and physician assistants.

Sen. Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) introduced SB 623 to expand access to abortion for women, especially in rural areas where physicians are not as available. ...

Brown also signed legislation that would improve breast cancer detection and give women easier access to birth control.

SB 1538 mandates that women who go in for screenings be informed if they have dense breast tissue and how that may affect the results of their mammogram and their risk of cancer. It also encourages women to speak with their physicians about whether additional screenings might be warranted. ...

Earlier in the day, Brown was in South Los Angeles to sign legislation that allows registered nurses to give out hormonal contraceptives to women under a standardized procedure.

That law "also allows RNs to dispense drugs and devices upon an order by a certified nurse-midwife, a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant while functioning within specified clinic settings," the governor's office said. ...

Brown signed the bill Saturday morning at Planned Parenthood's local headquarters and cast the event as a reaffirmation of "every woman's basic constitutional rights."   [Emphasis added]

There are lots of reasons I enjoy living in California.  These are just a few of them, but they are important ones.