California Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed Thursday that he will include funding to expand access to menopause care in next year’s state budget after Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry publicly torched him for twice vetoing legislation aiming to do the same.
Berry argued the term-limited Democratic governor “probably should not be our next president” because of the vetoes, accusing him of overlooking and “devaluing” women, in on-stage remarks that stunned the crowd at the New York Times’ Dealbook Summit Wednesday.
“Actually, I was just connected with her manager,” Newsom said, when asked by TMZ about Berry’s pointed criticism. “We have the ability to reconcile that, so we’re reconciling.”
“I’ve included it in the budget next year,” he revealed.
Newsom suggested that Berry’s tongue-lashing stemmed from the fact “she didn’t know” about his plans for the menopause bill he refused to sign into law.
“They didn’t understand we were already in the process of fixing it, so we’re getting it fixed,” he added.
The bill championed by Berry sought to mandate that health care plans provide recommendations for menopause-related treatments and require health care providers to receive training related to menopause care.
Newsom vetoed it over concerns that it would have “unintentionally raised health care costs for millions of working women already stretched thin,” a spokesperson for the governor said.
The governor’s office confirmed that on Jan. 10, Newsom plans to include a proposal in the California budget to address expanded menopause care.
“The Governor remains committed to fixing this issue – and we’ve been doing that work in real time,” a spokesperson for Newsom told The Post.
Before taking aim at Newsom, Berry noted, “At this stage in my life, I have zero f–ks left to give.”
“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,” the “Catwoman” star continued. “But that’s OK, because he’s not going to be governor forever, and the way he has overlooked women, half the population, by devaluing us, he probably should not be our next president either. Just saying.”
The California governor’s term ends at the end of 2026, and he confirmed in October that he is eyeing a 2028 White House run.
