Recommendation to request City Manager to work with City Attorney to draft a letter of support for the California state legislature’s proposal to place permanent protections for abortion rights into the California Constitution.
Great. Thank you very much. We are we're going to continue the regular agenda. I know the cannabis items are over. If I can ask everyone to exit as as quiet as possible so we can continue the meeting. That would be great. Thank you so much. We're going to hear item 31, please. And then after 31, we're going to hear 19. Item 31 communication from Councilwoman Price, Councilwoman Allen, Councilwoman Sara recommendation to draft a letter of support for the California State Legislatures. Proposal to place permanent protections for abortion rights into the California Constitution. Okay. We're going to go ahead and move on to item 31. So I know that Councilman Price is is not able to be here, but we have a motion and a second. But Councilman Taro and Councilwoman Allen, Councilman Sorrell. Thank you, Mayor. I think that many of us have heard the potential of return of Roe versus Wade. And I actually want to thank the mayor, actually the county supervisor, President Mitchell, for bringing forward an item at the county level to ensure there's protection and that the mayor had offer to bring forward an item so that we as a city will work as a county to ensure we continue to protect women's reproductive health and their rights and to ensure there's justice for all women. And so I want to make sure that we thank our governor, as well as our Senate Pro Tem Atkins and Assembly Speaker Rendon for proposing at the state level. This, despite what may happen federally, that we will ensure there is protection permanently of women's reproductive rights and their right to abortion by making it permanent at the California state constitutional level. And more recently, I just want to thank Senator Gonzales for hosting a press conference with Attorney General California Attorney General Rob Bonta. And that was joined by my colleague, by our mayor, as well as Councilmember Sandia and Councilmember Urunga, that we will continue that that uplifted what our state leadership is committed to do. And so we want to thank Planned Parenthood as well, our advocacy group, for ensuring that we keep women's reproductive justice at the forefront. And, you know, and as well as having many of the advocates. So there it's just absolutely I want to reiterate our support at the city level that we continue to want to make sure that women here in Long Beach feel safe, it's a safe haven and that we continue to ensure all levels of resources provided for women to continue to have access to health care, abortion and whatever it is they need to ensure they can make the decision that is right for them and their family. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Allen. Thank you, Mayor. I can tell you that this item is very important to all of us on council, and it's also very important to our community. I also want to thank Councilmember Yarrawonga for already working on this through the State Ledge Committee. I know that means a lot to so many of us. The protection of woman's body and their right to choose is under attack at the highest level. Long Beach can and should lead in pushing for a codification of women's rights to choose and our Constitution. I have faith in the voters of our state to pass such a measure if the legislature places it on the ballot. I know that Supervisor Hahn is working on an abortion safe haven pilot program that will safeguard patient access to abortions regardless of residency. Senator Gonzalez offered S.B. 245 the Abortion Accessibility Act, which removes barriers to accessing abortion care. Our leaders at the county and the state level. Supervisor Janice Hahn and Senator Lena Gonzalez are are just such strong women leaders. And and I just personally want to just say thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you are doing to protect the women in our community and also protect those women who are coming here to seek refuge. Now I think it's time for our city to formally support further protections. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Richardson. Thank you. I think it's important that our city speak out loud and clearly in this moment. You know, we're in a state where people will, you know, come to our state to seek safe haven. And I think we need to show leadership in this moment because the reality is you you can't dictate free will. What people what's happening is and is an erosion of a protection of of health opportunity to have safe access to women's reproductive rights. And so we have to protect that. And I think cities have a responsibility of stepping up. I want to thank everyone who's shown leadership in this moment, Governor Newsom, on proposing the proposal for the state constitutional amendment. Senator Gonzalez, for showing leadership in Attorney General Bonta for coming to Long Beach locally. Mayor Garcia, Janice Hahn for leading at the county level. Councilman Durango for taking this action last week at the state led committee to for the city of Long Beach to formally support taking this step. I think Long Beach needs to be on the right side here. And so, you know, I think all of our council members, everybody has been on the right side. And we need to speak clearly as a city and show our show solidarity. And so I'm happy to support this. Three. Thank you, Councilman Austin. Thank you, ma'am. I would like to add my unequivocal support to this item as well. Obviously, we need to speak with a unified, collective voice to stand up for women's reproductive rights. Not only for our city, but our state and our entire country. I'm going to read a statement prepared on behalf of Councilmember Price, who couldn't be here because she obviously has tested positive for COVID and we give her our very best wishes. Her statement reads as follows. Unfortunately, I'm not able to join the city council meeting tonight after testing positive yesterday. However, I still want to speak on this item. I would like to thank my colleagues for signing on to the item with me. Tonight, we seek to take action in support of women's rights to choose reports proposing that the Supreme Court are planning to undo 50 years of legal precedent are why I put this issue on the city council agenda tonight. We must ensure Long Beach is doing everything it can for vulnerable women and to support protecting the rights of women in California. As women, we must support others and raise up the voices and experiences of overlooked women. We owe it to one another to stand up, not just for ourselves before our fellow women who deserve to have their rights protected and have their access to safe reproductive health care. These are my values and the values we should defend for women here in Long Beach and all across America. If we stand together, our rights can be protected. Thank you. So that's a Councilmember Price's comments. And this item has my full support as well. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman's in the house. Thank you. I just want to deter all the comments that have been made by my colleagues. I think that this is a very important time for us to unite and to. Just be able to support women all over. It's also very important that we stand strong because we really need to protect this because I could see a down downfall from this. And it's it's really important for us to stay together and stay on message and make sure that we we come united and that we stand strong together on this. And I'm just very thankful that we're all like it's been said before here tonight on the same side. Thank you. Thank you. Let me just say a few comments and then we'll go to public comment. One is I just want to just echo what everyone has said. When we had a chance to gather a few days ago, I wanted to reiterate that abortion care is health care. It's incredibly important that at this moment that the city takes a formal position to support this incredibly important constitutional amendment. I want to commend the governor and the pro tem and the speaker for move this forward to the legislature. I do want to thank Councilwoman Price for bringing this forward today to Councilwoman Sorrow, to Councilwoman Allen for bringing this forward today and for their, you know, unified support for abortion, access for for partners at Planned Parenthood, and to ensuring that all women that all people have access to care, that is support, and really to to being able to to live in a community and in a country that supports them and their and their freedom to make those choices. I want to also just add that I'm really thankful. Mr. Modica, you had released an update to the request that we had made a few months ago. It's no secret that we've been anticipating this moment, unfortunately, for for many months. And so with our Planned Parenthood partners, the city partnered with L.A. County as well, because we have our own health department to put in place a series of of measures that we're working on to better prepare and assist women that are going to be looking to do these services, and that we need to do a better job as a city to prepare for this moment. And so we've put in place and are working towards enhanced medical training for the community. Budgetary improvements and and expansions work for additional workforce training for, for our partners and a unit for our referral system. And these are all programs that we're working with, with Planned Parenthood compared to Los Angeles, who our partners are here. And I want to just thank them for their advocacy, but also, most importantly, just for operating a incredibly important clinic and center that they have here in Long Beach, which is widely used by the community and that we're very, very supportive of and grateful that they're here in the city. And finally, I just want to say that the city taking this position puts us, I think, in the in the in the category of of of early action on any cities in the state to formally endorse this constitutional amendment. And so I'm really proud of that. And I'm hopeful that we can continue our advocacy and then as a city, lean in on what will be a very important effort to to codify this into our Constitution and more broadly, work into codifying Roe. Of course, at the at the federal level, which which needs, of course, in this moment to happen more than ever. And with that, we have a motion in a second. I want to turn this over to public comment. So I'm going to ask the following speakers or please come forward. We have Jacob O'Donnell, Dave Shukla, Jamie Kinnock and Kathleen Puder. Good evening. My name is Jacob O'Donnell, field representative to State Senator Lina Gonzales as Senator Gonzales, thanks Mayor Garcia and the City Council for your collective support for reproductive justice. As you know, in response to the Supreme Court's draft decision to overturn Roe v Wade, the state legislature is working to codify the right to an abortion within our state constitution. This legislative action will strengthen California's health care access to safe and legal abortions, which are among the strongest in our nation, including SB 245, the Abortion Accessibility Act, authored by Senator Gonzalez, which was enacted this year. And it requires all state licensed health care plans to cover the cost of abortion services without a co-payment deductible or any type of cost sharing agreement, effectively eliminating the cost barrier. Senator Gonzales urges your support on item 31. And thank you. Thanks you for your advocacy to ensure California remains a reproductive freedom state. Thank you. Good evening. I'd just like to thank the three council women who brought this item forward and urge you to support it and pass it. Um, it's important that this city, uh, take early action to defend, uh, these, uh, very basic and fundamental rights. This is an issue of considerable importance and concern to me and my family. And I'm grateful in this moment to live in Long Beach. Thank you. Hi all. Jamie Kinetic, public affairs specialist with the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project. Great to see a lot of you. Again, I'm here in support of item 31. I just wanted to say thank you all to this council for your active role in protecting reproductive justice. And most recently, with your action declaring Long Beach a haven city for reproductive health care. Thank you to Councilmembers Price, Allard and Farrow for authoring this motion. It is deeply appreciated. And just as we see these rights eroded at a national level, it's really important that we at a state and local level are here to step up and to really meet this moment. So very excited to be here, very excited for your partnership, and thank you again for your support on this motion. Hello, Mr. Mayor. Members of the council. My name is Kate Improver. I am the president of Stonewall Young Democrats for Los Angeles County, and I'm also a volunteer for the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project. Perhaps strong supports agenda item 31. California cannot and will not stand idly by as women. People who can get pregnant are stripped of their rights, and progress is erased that so many have fought for as a result of this leaked opinion. California must work to protect this right and enshrine it in our state constitution to further affirm to all people across the country that California will remain a safe haven state for reproductive rights. I want to thank council members Pryce, Allen and Sara for your support on this and to all of you for your continued support. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much. I'm thinking especially especially to our Planned Parenthood partners and friends. I appreciate your especially in this moment. We do have a motion in a second. Please cast your votes. Motion is carried. Thank you very much. We will now move to item 19.