Gavin Newsom Has Twice Vetoed a Menopause Research Bill and Halle Berry Is Rightfully Furious

It's strange to think that a woman's value often revolves around what her uterus is doing or not doing, but that's the world we live in. Certain corners of the world love telling folks with baby-making parts that they must fulfill their biological duties by bringing forth new life into the world. Not doing so is sometimes deemed offensive by the worst among us.

Once they reach an age where having babies is no longer possible, women are occasionally told they are basically useless. It's around this time that a second puberty hits. One simply doesn't know how important estrogen is to a healthy body until said estrogen pulls the rip cord and jumps out of the human body forever. We could know more about this stage if more research was dedicated to perimenopause and menopause. Halle Berry has a lot to say about this, specifically to Gavin Newsom.

In October 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the Menopause Care Equity Act for the second year in a row. The bipartisan bill passed the state legislature with near-unanimous support, but according to the governor, it all came down to money. In his letter to members of the California State Assembly, Newsom said it would "limit the ability of health plans to engage in practices that have been shown to ensure appropriate care while limiting unnecessary costs."

Newsom went on to say that the bill's expansive coverage mandate, in conjunction with the medical necessity of the proposed services, is too far-reaching. While he said he strongly supports access to quality care and treatment of symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause, the governor just couldn't get on board with the cost.

Actor Halle Berry has been open about her struggles with menopause. She lent her support to the passing of this bill. After it was vetoed again, she commented about it while speaking at The New York Times’s DealBook Summit, per The Hill. Regarding the second veto, she said that's OK because Newsom won't 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," said Halle.

Where California has failed, other states like Illinois are picking up the slack, reports Time. Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton are focused on making Illinois one of the country's leaders in women's health policies. Starting in January 2026, "health insurance plans must cover all FDA-approved hormonal and non-hormonal menopause treatments." They also established a Menopause Awareness Week during which they held panels featuring menopause experts.

Over in Michigan, their state legislature introduced four bills aimed at expanding menopause and perimenopause training, treatment, and coverage in 2026. Senator Maria Collett and Reps. Leanne Krueger, Morgan Cephas, and Liz Hanbidge of Pennsylvania also introduced a series of comprehensive menopause bills. The same thing is happening in New York state. All is not lost for women who dare to age.