Additional Coverage:
- Newsom fires back at Halle Berry’s criticism of menopause bill with blunt 3 word comment (irishstar.com)
Governor Newsom Defends Veto of Menopause Bill, Halle Berry Fires Back
Sacramento, CA – Governor Gavin Newsom is standing by his decision to veto A.B. 432, a bill championed by actress Halle Berry aimed at expanding menopause-related care and coverage in California. The move has sparked a public disagreement between the two, with Berry voicing strong criticism.
Newsom, 58, addressed the issue recently, telling TMZ at Newark International Airport that the bill’s provisions would be included in next year’s budget. “We’re reconciling that.
I’ve included it in the budget next year. She didn’t know that,” he stated.
This marks the second time the Governor has prevented the bipartisan bill from becoming law.
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry, 59, expressed her frustration at The New York Times’s DealBook Summit on December 3rd. “Back in my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill, not one but two years in a row,” Berry said.
She added a pointed remark about his political future: “But that’s OK, because he’s not going to be governor forever. And with the way he’s overlooked women – half the population – by devaluing us in midlife, he probably should not be our next president either.”
Governor Newsom’s team claims they were in communication with Berry regarding his plan to incorporate the legislation into California’s 2026 budget. According to Mediaite, Gov. Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon explained the veto, stating, “He vetoed the bill because, as written, it would have unintentionally raised health care costs for millions of working women already stretched thin – something he’s determined to avoid.”
The Menopause Care Equity Act, which passed the California state Legislature in both 2024 and 2025, sought to mandate health care service plans and policies to cover outpatient prescriptions, evaluations, and treatment options for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause symptoms. The Hill reported that the legislation also included provisions for California’s medical board to develop a menopause-specific curriculum and increase continuing-education credits for doctors completing relevant training.
Berry’s criticism extends beyond the summit; she also co-authored an op-ed in Time magazine addressing the vetoes. Alongside Democratic Illinois Lt.
Gov. Juliana Stratton and Dr.
Pauline Maki, Director of the Center for Health, Awareness, and Research on Menopause at the University of Illinois, Berry wrote, “It is enraging that women in California have to continue to wait for adequate and informed healthcare, when we were on the precipice of progress.”
The Governor’s decision and the ensuing backlash are speculated by some to potentially impact his future political aspirations, particularly as he is widely considered a frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.