Governor Gavin Newsom Leads YES on Prop 1 Rally In Long Beach

LONG BEACH, CA — California Governor Gavin Newsom led a rally in support of Proposition 1 in Tuesday's primary election, which, if approved, would make the state the first in the nation to protect the right to abortion in its constitution.

Newsom spoke in front of a crowd of about 500 people at Long Beach City College as well as a number of notable politicians in California who spoke in support of Prop 1.

"This is our opportunity to send a powerful message back to people all across America, that we have their back," Newsom said. "We believe in reproductive freedom, we believe in women's rights to choose, we believe in these fundamental freedoms, and we're not going to take this moment for granted."

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that made abortion a protected right. In doing, so the high court unsettled what many had taken for granted as settled law, prompting 14 states to pass abortion restrictions and rattling pro-choice advocates and lawmakers in blue states such as California.

It was this legal paradigm shift that prompted lawmakers to put Proposition 1 to voters even though abortion is currently legal in California.

"We learned from that Supreme Court decision that the right to privacy is just not enough," said Jodi Hicks CEO and President of the Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California." That we need to ensure that our constitution is crystal clear, everyone in California has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom including abortion and contraception."

Many leaders at Sunday's rally also took the time to stress to the audience to vote for Democratic candidates in Tuesday's election. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, who is running to represent California's 42nd District, listed his endorsements of Alex Padilla, Malia Cohen, Rob Bonta, Ricardo Lara, Shirley Weber, Tony Thurmond as well as Long Beach candidates Rex Richardson and Megan Kerr.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber also spoke about the impact this vote has made on the freedoms of the American people it affected.

"These are people who are trying to take away our legacy and the fight of our ancestors," Weber said. "These are the women who gave us so much and women who died trying to get abortions. These are those who were never considered in this country, to be respected, to have the right to define for themselves who they were and what they needed. That's who we're fighting for, not just ourselves, but for all of the history that we stand on."

Tuesday is the last day to vote in California's primary. Find a complete list of voting sites and other election information here.

Patch reporter Paige Austin contributed to this report.