Attorney General Lockyer Withdraws New Year's Eve Opinion on Student Health Services

January 6, 1999
99-002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(SACRAMENTO) - Attorney General Bill Lockyer today withdrew an opinion regarding student health services that was issued by former Attorney General Dan Lungren on the last day of 1998.

The opinion concluded that a school district "may operate a health clinic without allowing pregnancy and abortion counseling and referral services to be offered," and "A school district may operate a health clinic that offers pregnancy and abortion counseling and referral services only to those minors whose parents have given consent to such counseling and services."

The opinion was requested by State Senator Ray Haynes.

"This opinion, issued by an anti-choice politician in the dead of the night without adequate review, does not reflect thorough legal analysis," Lockyer said. "For that reason I've asked the Department's staff professionals to review the matter and prepare a new response to Senator Haynes' request."

Attorney General Lockyer learned of Lungren's New Year's Eve opinion yesterday and that thorough review usually accorded formal opinions of the office was not completed prior to the issuance of Senator Haynes' response. Today Lockyer withdrew the opinion and has asked the Opinions Unit within the Department of Justice to expedite a review of the questions in the original opinion request.