Recommendation to request City Manager and Long Beach Health and Human Services in coordination with Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health care advocates meet and develop written recommendations on how Long Beach can partner with Los Angeles County to respond should Roe v. Wade be overturned and report back within 45 days.
Thank you. That concludes our hearing. Now we are going to go to the regular agenda and we will be hearing. The first item, the instructions for my agenda here. We will be during our first item, which is going to be item 17, please. Communication from Mayor Garcia, Councilwoman Allen, Councilman Price, Councilman Sara recommendation or to request City Manager and Long Beach Health and Human Services in coordination with Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health care advocates, meet and develop a written recommendations on how Long Beach can partner with Los Angeles County to respond to Roe versus Wade, be overturned and report back within 45 days. Well, thank you. And I do want to thank first just the incredible group of women's health organizations, particularly Planned Parenthood, that I know have worked really hard on this issue. And we've been we've also been having some conversations with the county about the seriousness of where this actual really health conversation is at at this moment in time . I want to note that because Long Beach has its own health department and because we have a health jurisdiction, it's also our responsibility to have robust conversations and insert also and insert ourselves when we can in these important and these important conversations in debates around women's health and access to, in this case, abortion and and women's health care. We just celebrated, as we probably know, the 40th anniversary of Roe v Wade. The idea that access, safe legal access to abortion is now being debated in our courts, especially in our highest court, where we can actually lose this constitutional protection for people is is is really hard to do to witness and to see. We know that right now in this country, over 80% of Americans support, access and select safe and legal abortion access. We know that also this this access to reproductive health is under attack across our country. And we have a responsibility as a city to continue supporting not just our community, but but folks are going to look to our community and others as restrictions are placed across across the country. And we're already seeing that happen today. I want to want to make a couple a couple notes right now, because access to reproductive health is or is being limited already in some states, we are seeing a wait times dramatically increase in states that are just adjacent to those. This is happening right now in our country. We could be months away from this constitutional right being decimated. And what that could mean for particularly for women across this country is is is immense. I want to note that here in Long Beach, we have had a proud history through our health department of working with Planned Parenthood and other health partners and agencies to support this important work for women and for reproductive rights and for safe and legal abortion access. We need to prepare as a community on what could happen to this to to not just us here. Unfortunately, we are in California, which is a state that has a very progressive view on this access. But what that could mean for us as it relates to jurisdictions and states that are just adjacent to us, that we could see limitations for reproductive health for women. The L.A. County and working with Planned Parenthood recently passed a series of recommendations. Those recommendations really revolve around working with Planned Parenthood and other agencies to address what the overturning Roe v Wade could mean for county health agencies and their relationship with, with or with clinics and the coalition of health groups that are out there. And so we have been asked and are working with Planned Parenthood as well, since we have our own health department as separate of L.A. County, to pass a similar resolution and look and work with L.A. County on this issue so that we have a unified response if we are faced with this really terrible decision in the in the months ahead. I want to thank L.A. County and the supervisors that have taken a leadership role in bringing this to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. I also want to thank Councilwoman Cindy Allen, Councilwoman Suzy Pryce, Councilwoman Sally Sara. I know all three are very interested in this in this conversation and in this legislation. And so I want to thank all three of those council women for their support of this and for sponsoring this. I know they all have relationships and with some of these health organizations and Planned Parenthood as well. Let me also just finally add that California right now is in the process of becoming a reproductive freedom state and is willing to step forward and provide these critical services for women that may be in need from across the country. And I think it's important for us in Long Beach to be prepared to also open our doors as a community and be a part of that network of spaces where if women need these critical services, they can they can look to us to help provide those. And so with that, the recommendation that everyone has in front of them from our city management team to come back to this council in about 45 days after talking to L.A. County. And looking for opportunities to expand health care opportunities to address some of these health disparities that could arise and other issues that have been brought forward at the county level as well. I want to thank the team at Planned Parenthood and our health agencies for their incredible work in preparation of this. Really, I think, really dangerous and dark time in our history as it relates to reproductive health. And so with that, I'm going to ask that we get a motion on this and then I'll pass this off to the agenda of this. Of this item. I see Councilman Allen has made the motion and I have Councilwoman Sara and Councilwoman Price all cued up. So let me turn this verse over to Councilwoman Allen. I just I just want to say thank you, Mayor Garcia, for leading on this and for coordinating this item. What we face is a potentially dangerous Supreme Court ruling against women's health and against women. Against women, period. And I'm scared. I'm worried about women all across this country that are scared, too. I think, you know, as you mentioned, as a city that owns its own health agency, in a city that values women, it is our duty to protect anyone made vulnerable. If the Supreme Court strips away a woman's right to choose. There are so many low income women, men in our community who rely on public services for care, and we must be ready to provide these services. I'm going to share just a little bit of a shocking story. So I would ask anyone who's sensitive to this topic just to turn off your volume for a couple of seconds. In a recent trip to Kentucky, I stayed in a motel room where a woman. Had an underground abortion performed on her because she had nowhere else to go. An abortion in a hotel room. This is unbelievable and it's dangerous. And I'm not going to give you any more details because it's too hard to hear or even believe. You know, this is this is 2022. And women are being driven to these dangerous and harmful extremes. And many more women will be, you know, would have would be forced to make these drastic measures like this woman in this motel room. This is unacceptable. We must provide support for women who would otherwise be forced to consider dangerous procedures. I wish that we could protect women all over the country. I'm so glad to hear the mayor talk about how California is going to reach out to women. But we start right here in our backyard, and I will be completely supporting this item today. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Sara. Thank you, Mayor, for your leadership in bringing this item forward. It's unfortunate that we have to prepare for the worse. You know, the attack against women's reproductive rights have happened ever since Roe versus Wade have passed and so many efforts taken to chip away at not just, you know, older women, but young women, miners rights to be able to make the decision over their body and their access to health care, especially marginalized young women of color. There's been already enough shaming about women's body, and then there's already a layered challenge for them to be able to access care, much less have these legal right and access affordable access to care provided to them. And I definitely stand with our county and our state being a reproductive freedom state and and becoming a reproductive freedom city to make sure that regardless of your status, regardless of your income level and regardless of your background, we want to make sure that women feel safe in in the decision they make, not just for themselves that their partner. So if the reproductive justice issue is a gender justice issue, that the attack is being targeting, targeting women, but also it impacts on men and the families of these women before the fact that if they're taking desperate measure like potentially to lose a daughter, a sister. And so it's really a family. It's a community issue. At the end of the day, because we want to make sure that women regardless have access to care and feel comfortable being able to get them. So for that, I stand in preparing for, unfortunately, the watershed, the right for access to abortion and care is taken away that we look at in every way possible to put measures in place and resource in place, to continue to tell young women and all women that we stand with you and we will fight this. And if we can't, we're going to make sure we protect you. Thank you. Councilwoman. Councilwoman Price. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you to my colleagues for their comments, especially Councilwoman Allen, with sharing that story. That's just a reality that I think we don't talk about very often. And it's obviously happening. And I appreciate you sharing that story. And that's such a horrific, horrific thing to even imagine. Thank you to our mayor for asking, bringing this item and for asking us as females to sign on to this item. I think it's very, very important that we highlight the importance of women's rights to reproductive health care through this item and beyond. In recent years, we have seen the courts move closer and closer to overturning a landmark decision that protects women's rights, fundamental women's rights. It is this legal decision that has changed and caused a lot of anxiety for people around this nation. And if this decision changes, it will change the rights of millions of women across America, and their fundamental rights will be impacted in a detrimental way. It's important for us as a local government with a health department. We often talk about our health department. Our health department protects everyone and should protect everyone, especially women in this scenario. And we need to work with our federal partners, our state and local partners, to make sure that we take a stand together and are prepared to work together to protect the rights of women and to protect the women. Should the laws change in the future, we need to stand together to protect them. This is a fundamental right for all women, and I thank you for bringing this item forward. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman's in the house. Thank you, Mayor, and thank you to my fellow council women for signing onto this very, very important item. Roe versus Wade recognize the fundamental right to choose an abortion. Since then, it has served as a layer of protection for women's reproductive rights. However, it's been challenged time and time and time again by claims that disregard or just devalue a woman's right to autonomy over the decision regarding their own body. I am proud to support this item that stands to reassure our women here in the city of Long Beach that your health and your rights are important. We are committed to working with the county and other partners to ensure access to contraceptives, abortion services and other services that we need, even in cases of even in the case that this week to be overturned. However, I am hopeful that the Supreme Court will find to uphold the president it established in Roe versus Wade. But thank you for this item. And I welcome the opportunity for us to become a city for reproductive freedom and a state that really embraces the rights of women to choose. Thank you, Councilwoman. I have Vice Mayor Richardson. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for bringing this forward. Thank you to my council colleagues. Alan Price, borrow for your comments. Hey, you know what we've seen in Washington, D.C., in terms of partizanship and gridlock? All it's done is force local governments to find ways to expand what we traditionally haven't had to do. And I think this is another example of local government thinking about adding additional protection for folks, because we can't count in many ways on consistency from the federal government on issues that are that are critically important. So I think this is a great strategy. So I applaud the L.A. County Board of Supervisors for really being creative and saying, what can we do in the event that is, you know, this landmark this landmark ruling is overturned? What can we do to add an additional layer of protection and safety and comfort to the women here in Long Beach, across L.A. County? And so I think that's incredible. And so I just wanted to chime in at my, you know, my strong, unequivocal support and to thank my colleagues for bringing this forward. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Councilman Ringo. Thank you, Mayor, and to my council colleagues for bringing this forward. I totally agree with all the commentary there. We are in dangerous times, and if we don't do something now to prepare ourselves, we'll be in a very bad spot once the season goes forward. Hopefully won't. But we have to be prepared. And I sit in solidarity with my council colleagues. Thank you. Councilman, Councilmember Austin. Thank you so much. This is just a reminder that issues matter of political ideology, matters of Supreme Court justices. Those decisions whose make who sits on the bench matters. This is an issue that is a landmark if you thought it was settled many years ago. But it has served as a litmus test for an issue in a very divisive issue for many, many years. I wasn't going to say anything this evening because this is this is a matter of women's reproductive rights. And I want to yield to those my colleagues who we have a great deal of respect for. The majority of our city council today are women. And so absolutely, I stand with women and I stand with my wife. I stand with the women in our country who are standing up for our reproductive rights. And I certainly support this item. I think we have to be very, very strategic, just like we were with. The immigration reforms that were coming down and the draconian kind of efforts that were coming from Washington, D.C., from the administration just a few years ago, we designated ourself as a sanctuary city. In this regard, we are going to stand strong and show as the city that we stand up for women's reproductive rights. So I'm happy to support. City councilman, Councilmember Superdome. Thank you, Mayor Garcia. I would also like to thank the councilman who brought this item forward. And I'd just like to state that as the father of a daughter and grandfather of two granddaughters, I stand in support of this item. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Let me go ahead and we will make sure if there's public comment and if there is, we'll go to that right now. But I just want to add one thing. Mr. Murphy, as we develop the motion that certainly when the report comes back, it will also be great to hear from the health department as to how we are, how we're preparing as far as these partnerships and what we're currently doing as the date, as it relates to reproductive health and and what our partnerships look like. We obviously have a Planned Parenthood clinic in the city and in services and other agencies as well. And so be great to get that as well. Is there any public comment on this, Madam Kirk? If any members of the public would like to speak on this item, please use the raise hand feature or press star nine. Our first speakers, Tiffany, Simon, Davey. Thank you. Tiffany Simone, Navy fourth District resident, sworn to speak in support of this item. I think. You know, just and, you know, women haven't gone through enough. There's there's always more to overcome. Sisyphean feat, they say. Looking forward to seeing this item again when it returns. Being able to read that memo that will be issued in support and really hope to see, perhaps, you know, a detailed guide for residents of the city, you know, this year, possibly from the public health department, you know, for those residents already residing here and thus something to make it easier to know. There are, I believe if you ever use two of the most popular abortion, you know, search sites there are really only showing two clinics, although I know there are other private offices as well as those in the area. So just looking forward to again seeing, you know, collaboration between the Black Health Equity Collaborative as well and really glad to see, you know, former first council district now current senator. Supporting S.B. 245, which just made it to it through its third reading. You can go ahead and resign this comment with saying. Also hope the city can draft a similar memo to support the passing of the VRA. Thank you. Our next speakers, Sue and Vasquez. Good evening, everyone. I hope you can hear me. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And the city council members. My name is Selina Vasquez, and I'm the chief external affairs officer for Planned Parenthood, Los Angeles. I'm also a daughter and a mother of a young child and teens. I want to thank the city of Long Beach for your foresight and for working alongside Los Angeles County, as well as the state building off of what Governor Gavin Newsom, the pro tem and the speaker and the California legislators have recommended to preserve abortion access and the breadth of reproductive health care services to reduce health disparities and inequities. This item should not be happening at a more critical time. You do have the health department in your jurisdiction. Planned Parenthood. Los Angeles does have a. Very robust presence in the city of Long Beach. And we see hundreds of thousands of patients every year at the Long Beach Health Center. As a result of the end of this federal right to abortion access, we have been preparing and we are already seeing patients from Texas and other states. We know that more people will travel here and we have to be prepared to ensure and increase access to abortion. Last month, we marked the 49th anniversary of Roe v Wade, and we're sobered and really understanding that this moment could be her last birthday. We just want to thank you again for your leadership, your fierce commitment to ensuring access and to ensure that wherever a person comes from, whether it is in the city of Long Beach, the county, Texas, we will make sure that access is protected regardless of what the Supreme Court will do. What regardless of what the courts are doing. So, Mr. Mayor and council members that are in support and that have spoken up and have shared their perspectives, you speak on behalf of all of the patients that we serve in your city, that we serve in the county, and that we serve in this great state of California, the Reproductive Freedom State. Male grace Yes. Thank you. That concludes public comment for this item. Thank you and thank you to Linda Vasquez, a great partner here in Long Beach. And as a reminder to the community and to the council, I would recommend, if you haven't had a chance to visit the incredible facility that it has that serves these tens of thousands of patients on a regular basis. I think you heard the numbers from from his past, because right now I would recommend that you do. So it's a really incredible facility here in our community. And with that, I want to go and take the vote. If we can do the roll call, vote, please. Madam Fourth. District one. I district to. I. District three. I. District for. My. District five. District six. By. District seven. I. District eight. II. District nine. All right. Motion is carried. Thank you, city council. We will be moving on to the. I think we have actually one item of unfinished business, I think, which was 28. And then we'll do general public comment and then go to the regular agenda. Item 28 Report from Development Services Recommendation to adopt a resolution declaring the Long Beach Community Investment Company owned property located at 4151 East Fountain Street as exempt surplus land District three.