California First Lady promotes abortion rights

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- An appearance by California First Lady Sharon Davis

Monday night raised about $25,000 for a Planned Parenthood campaign to

help elect officials that support abortion rights and other reproductive

rights.

The event drew a who’s who of influential locals -- Democrats as well

as Republicans who support abortion rights -- to the home of Big Canyon

resident Jene Witte, where a sign on her door read, “Another grandmother

for choice.”

Costa Mesa Mayor Linda Dixon, Costa Mesa Councilwoman Libby Cowan,

Congressional candidate John Graham, Newport Beach environmentalists

Nancy Skinner and Bob Caustin and a long list of officials, activists and

volunteers on state and county levels crowded around to hear the first

lady’s speech.

“When you’ve had a right for 29 years, it’s hard to believe someone

would want to take it away,” Davis said to the gathering of about 120.

She emphasized statistics that show that areas with strong abortion

and reproductive rights have fewer unwanted pregnancies and abortions --

arguing that by giving women more rights, women become empowered to

exercise a wider range of options.

“People truly opposed to abortion should be the biggest supporters of

Planned Parenthood,” she said, drawing enthusiastic applause.

She echoed the thoughts of Planned Parenthood Executive Director Jon

Dunn, who emphasized that while polls show Orange County residents

solidly support abortion rights, the majority of their representatives do

not.

“We’ve got to pay attention in these elections. We’ve got to pin down

the candidates on this issue and let people know where they stand,” Dunn

said in his opening comments.

Davis took this point a step further, noting the importance of the

abortion rights issue in the upcoming gubernatorial race between her

husband, Gov. Gray Davis, and Republican contender Bill Simon, who has

opposed abortion rights. She argued that, despite arguments that abortion

is decided only on the federal level, governors have a great deal of

influence over abortion rights in their states.

She then cited a long list of her husband’s accomplishments in

reproductive politics, including signing the Women’s Contraceptive

Equality Act, and the fight to make sex education clear and accurate.

Then, listing some of the governor’s work on other issues, such as

California’s economic growth, his position on education initiatives and a

range of other topics, she concluded: “You get the full package with this

guy.”

Witte, an activist for abortion rights for more than 30 years, helped

underwrite a large portion of the event.

“I think it’s time for us old ladies to be able to get out of this and

for the young people to take over,” Witte said. “We should not have to

battle this anymore, but we do. We need a new generation to step up and

take over.”

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 june.casagrande@latimes.comf7 .