California’s proposal to allow nurses, midwives and physicians assistants to perform first trimester abortions has undergone a few changes, but is still far from becoming law, and may never be thanks to a deadlock in senate committee.

Via UTSanDiego:

Both sides have been lobbying senators leading up to key votes in various committees this week. Among those: Sen. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego.

Vargas ended up casting a crucial “no” vote that produced a 4-4 deadlock in the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee Thursday.

The original version of the bill, which would have allowed up to 24,000 medical professionals to be able to perform abortions, was torpedoed by the state’s Nurses Association, resulting in the watered down version that would instead only allow 41 providers who were involved in a special program be approved instead.

But even the new version seems too controversial to come up for a vote, likely due to Vargas’s national congressional aspirations, according to the report.  However, the bill will be reheard on May 8th.