LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. (KTXL) — Governor Gavin Newsom held a press conference Wednesday in front of a group of Planned Parenthood supporters where he discussed the state’s response to the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion. of the United States that would overthrow Roe v. Wade.

Newsom began the conference by saying that he believed that a rollback of abortion access protections would only be the beginning and that other protections granted at the federal level by the Supreme Court could be the following.

“Do you think a second same-sex marriage is safe in the United States of America? Leave me alone. You heard a senator from Indiana, a senator from the United States, not retired… start talking about Loving vs Virginia,” Newsom said, referring to Senator Mike Braun who suggested in March that the legality of interracial marriage should have been left to the states.

Newsom also reaffirmed a plan his office briefly outlined in a joint statement with leaders of the California legislature in which lawmakers said they intended to amend the state’s constitution to protect access to abortion.

“Although it’s been well established in statutes since 2002 that we’re a state of reproductive freedom, we’re going to enshrine that, codify that as we should in the state constitution,” Newsom said. “…And we’ll present that to voters in November.”

Newsom said he was bracing for a Supreme Court ruling that could affect access to abortion before the leak.

“We did not sit passively. We anticipated – unfortunately – we anticipated this. … We had a meeting, I think, six or seven months ago. We explained that and not one – everything that happened happened,” Newsom said. “I guess we just didn’t know it was (Judge Samuel) Alito. We knew he was one of them. So we got ready. We have done more to be able to do better. Protect the health, protect the safety of women and girls, especially those of color.

The governor said California would work with other state leaders to protect access to abortion and highlighted issues that people seeking abortions in his own state might face.

“Even in California, even in California, women and girls still have to travel long distances to access their reproductive rights,” Newsom said. “Even in California, even in California, even if we change it, you still have women and girls who can’t afford co-pays for procedures and care. This will change in January. Even in California. Can you imagine how many others are suffering in all those other states?

Supreme Court justices appointed by Republican presidents have become the majority on the court after Donald Trump appointed three during his term.