About six months ago, I searched old LA Times articles from the 1960s about the legislation Reagan signed. Below are my notes, and some quotes. (somewhat plagiarized--so credit to LAT)
In 1967, a democrat state lawmaker (Beilenson) pushed to liberalize the laws for just three reasons: to allow abortion in the case of rape, incest, or where the baby might be deformed. ...Governor Ronald Reagan's first response was "Here's an emotional problem that has so many facets of consideration. It is not only spiritual, but also legal... when does life begin? What right does the unborn life have? What legal right? I'm not prepared to answer now."
In subsequent statements, Reagan took great exception to the portion of the law addressing the possibilty of deformity. "I am satisfied in my own mind we can morally and logically justify liberalized abortions to protect the health of a mother. I cannot justify the taking of an unborn life simply on the supposition that the baby may be born less than a perfect human being... [this kind of thing] wouldn't be much different from what Hitler tried to do."
The deformity provision was dropped shortly thereafter. The final statute permitted abortions in the case of forcible rape, incest, statutory rape if the victim was under 15 years old or if there was a "substantial risk" that continued pregnancy would "gravely impair" the "physical or mental health" of the mother.
Several months before Reagan signed the final bill, Colorado passed similar legislation (thus, California was not "the first" as some have asserted.)
I really don't think that is in question, and that is what I said.
My opinion is there is enough room in the Republican party for people to change on abortion. My spouse is an example....went from a pro-choice R to a pro-life R. No hypocrisy there.
Romney did change his attitude toward abortion while he was governor of Massachusetts--see how he ticked off the NARAL crowd?