Long Beach moves forward in support for reproductive health care should Roe v. Wade be overturned

With the future of women’s reproductive rights at risk, the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday directed the city manager and health department to partner with Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health care advocates to develop written recommendations on how the City can partner with LA County should Roe v. Wade be overturned.

“The attacks on reproductive healthcare represented an inflection point for cities, counties and regions to step up and operationalize the care and support those seeking abortion need,” said Celinda Vazquez, chief external affairs officer for Planned Parenthood LA in a statement. She noted the organization is proud to work with Long Beach to develop the recommendations.

The move comes at the heels of the 49th anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision which ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects a woman’s right to choose whether or not to have an abortion.

It also comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide on Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which seeks to overturn Roe v. Wade. The court heard oral arguments in Dec. 2021.

Should Roe be overturned, the authority to ban abortions or impose restrictions that would limit abortion access would fall on individual states.

California is gearing up to become a sanctuary for women seeking abortion access if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators have voiced their intent to open the state for out-of-state women who seek abortion access. Currently, the state is considering proposals, including subsidies for out-of-state women.

In January, the LA Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion directing Public Health and County Counsel to develop written recommendations within 30 days on how the county can respond to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 

According to the proposal document, the recommendations should include an analysis of potential budget impacts of State proposals to relax residency requirements for reproductive health care.

It should also include an analysis of medical training enhancement (especially related to septic nonhospital abortions) and ways to expand access to sexual health services and supplies for marginalized communities, among other recommendations. 

“What we face is a potentially dangerous Supreme Court ruling against women’s health and against women, period,” Councilmember Cindy Allen said, noting that as a city with its own health agency, Long Beach has a “duty” to protect anyone who may be vulnerable if the Supreme Court overturns Roe.

Allen noted that she recently took a trip to Kentucky—a state that would ban abortion in most cases if Roe was overturned—and stayed in a motel room where she alleged a woman once had an underground abortion performed because she had nowhere else to go. 

“This is 2022 and women are being driven to these dangerous and harmful extremes,” Allen said.

Long Beach city staff has 45 days to return to the council with the recommendations.