California is widely known as the most “progressive” state in the union, as Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to push some of the most far-left agenda items we’ve seen yet.
One of his most recent moves was a possible “boycott” of Walgreens, as he suggested he might sever ties with the pharmacy because they refused to break the law in pro-life states and hand out abortion drugs.
Unfortunately for Newsom, that plan backfired — and it backfired very quickly.
Newsom allegedly wanted to stop Walgreens from renewing a contract that lets the company provide pharmaceuticals to the state’s prison system.
The Governor was essentially making a statement against the company’s decision to follow the law in other states, which have placed bans on certain abortion drugs. Unsurprisingly, abortion activists supported the “boycott.”
It just didn’t work out, though, largely for legal reasons (via Washington Examiner):
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) boycott against Walgreens failed as predicted just a month ago.
The company will be allowed to rebid on a contract to provide pharmaceuticals to the state’s prison system despite an initial decision by Newsom to try to bar Walgreens from renewing the agreement.
Additionally, Walgreens can’t be barred from the state’s Medi-Cal program, which offers health insurance to low income residents.
The bottom line is that Walgreens and any other similar businesses, like Rite Aid, have to follow the law. It really doesn’t matter what Newsom likes or doesn’t like; the companies can’t just do whatever they want.
As reported by California Healthline:
Newsom’s administration confirmed it will ‘continue to comply’ with federal law by paying Walgreens through Medi-Cal, which provides health coverage to roughly 15 million residents with low incomes and disabilities.
Were California to stop covering Medi-Cal prescriptions filled at Walgreens stores, legal scholars warned, the state would run afoul of federal law, which allows patients to get their medications at any approved pharmacy.
Newsom quickly said that his tweets couldn’t be interpreted as policy, though he reportedly ordered state agencies to review deals made with Walgreens.
California appears to be increasingly at odds with the rest of the country, and while they’re obviously proud of that, it means they’re often running into legal issues.
For example, there’s a law in the Cali that says the state won’t pay for travel to any state the Attorney General deems “unfriendly” to LGBTQ individuals.
But that’s also causing all sorts of problems and legal issues, so lawmakers are already thinking about rescinding the law. This idea that California will simply force its political views on its employees doesn’t go over well.
On top of that, no law California passes will stop other states from passing laws Newsom and his colleagues don’t like.
His seemingly endless boycotting of red states in a variety of ways won’t impact the rest of the nation; it’ll only impact Cali residents. And it will continue to be a thorn in the side of certain businesses.
Abortion activists really believe companies like Walgreens should simply ignore existing laws in other states and distribute the banned drugs, anyway.
But that’s the sort of lawlessness that simply can’t be allowed on a national scale.
Key Takeaways:
- Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested a state boycott on Walgreens because they wouldn’t ignore the law in some red states and distribute abortion drugs.
- An agreement with Walgreens will probably return, and they can’t be banned from Medi-Cal.
- The “boycott” backfired because Walgreens just has to follow the law, and Cali trying to force its political views on the entire country doesn’t seem to work.
Source: Washington Examiner
