Halle Berry accuses Governor Gavin Newsom of undervaluing women: He should not be our next President

Halle Berry has publicly spoken out against California Governor Gavin Newsom. On Wednesday, December 3, the 59-year-old award-winning actress participated as a speaker at The New York Times Dealbook Summit, where she discussed her experiences with menopause and her efforts to advocate for women navigating this stage of life.

Im also advocating at the federal level, introducing a bill that would allocate $275 million for research and medical education, Berry explained. Additionally, Im working with states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Illinois to advance Menopause legislation.

During the summit, Berry directly criticized Newsom, who was also present, for not supporting her initiatives and for failing to champion womens issues.

Illinois recently became the first state to require coverage for hormone replacement therapy. In contrast, in California, my own governor, Gavin Newsom, vetoed our menopause bill two years consecutively, she stated. But thats okay, because he wont be governor forever, and given how he has overlooked women, devaluing half the population during midlife, he probably shouldnt be our next president either.

The legislation Berry supports, the Menopause Care Equity Act (AB 432), introduced by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, passed Californias legislature with strong bipartisan support but was vetoed by Newsom in October.

The Legislature made its position clear, passing this bill 70-1 in the Assembly and 39-0 in the Senate, Bauer-Kahan said. While I respect the Governors process, I strongly disagree with this outcome. Women deserve more than to be ignored or told to simply endure this transition. We will keep working to ensure California leads on womens health equity, because this issue isnt going away.

Author: Aiden Foster