BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

Paul Clinton

Hoping to bring a more moderate agenda to the Orange County Republican

Party, a faction of GOPers who favor abortion rights have scheduled a

rally for Thursday in Newport Beach.

The rally, which will be held at The Sutton Place Hotel, is the first

meeting of the newly formed Orange County chapter of Republicans for

Choice. The event was organized by the county’s branch of Planned

Parenthood, the nonprofit abortion rights group formed in 1916.

Those scheduled to attend the event include former 70th District

Assemblywoman Marilyn Brewer, California Congress of Republicans

President Bob Larkin and newly elected 67th District Assemblyman Tom

Harman (R-Huntington Beach).

“After six years of absolute control of the party by the California

Republican Assembly, with their unbending litmus tests on abortion, guns,

vouchers and a variety of other issues considered to be anti-women and

anti-minority, we face a fork in the road,” Larkin said in a statement.

Event organizer Sandy Hester said the new group would work to remove

the antiabortion plank from the Republican Party.