Statement on Roe v. Wade
Today, the Supreme Court voted to strike down Roe v. Wade. While we have been expecting this decision since the opinion was leaked several months ago, it is no easier to accept.
Now, state legislators get to decide whether to allow abortion and under what circumstances in their state. The important decision of reproductive health is no longer in the hands of women and others who experience pregnancy, but in the hands of state lawmakers, many of whom have already expressed their desire to revoke this basic freedom.
Such limits on reproductive health services disproportionately impact Black, brown, and low-income communities, therefore upholding and perpetuating income inequality and white supremacy. Read more from the League of Women Voters of the United States here.
A majority of Pennsylvania voters do not support anti-abortion laws. A poll by Franklin & Marshall in October 2020 showed that 83% of state residents believe abortion should be legal in all or certain cases.
Currently in Pennsylvania, abortion is protected by Governor Wolf’s veto power. However, a new Governor will be elected in November 2022, and the right to a legal abortion hangs in the balance.
While this feels like a huge loss in the fight for reproductive rights, the fight is not over.
What you can do today:
1) VOTE in the 2022 elections: Who we elect next, and their stance on abortion, will have implications for abortion access in Pennsylvania for years to come. Register to vote in November at vote.pa.gov.
2) Talk to your friends and family about abortion rights, and why it’s important to vote 2022: See abortion messaging guidance here. Organize a voter registration drive in your neighborhood to help get out the vote on this issue.
3) Tell your U.S. Senators to support abortion access: Contact Senator Bob Casey and Senator Pat Toomey to ask them to protect abortion rights.
4) Tell your state lawmakers to support abortion access: Several bills threatening reproductive justice have been introduced at the Pennsylvania legislature. The most egregious are Senate Bill 956 and House Bill 2252, constitutional amendments that would overturn the right to abortion care in Pennsylvania if federal protections are weakened or overturned. Take action here.
5) Help spread the word: Abortion is currently legal in Pennsylvania. Healthcare clinics remain open. Contact the Women’s Law Project of Pennsylvania if you need assistance navigating the process.
6) Donate to Pennsylvania abortion funds: Make a donation to organizations that provide financial assistance to abortion patients:
Abortion Liberation Fund of PA
Southern Tier Women’s Health Services Access Fund
Indigenous Women Rising
Indeedana
National Abortion Federation Hotline
The Brigid Alliance
Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (WRRAP)
7) Raise your voice: Attend a reproductive justice rally near you.
8) Support the League: Abortion access is a democracy issue. Support our election work to ensure that Pennsylvanians are educated on this issue and are empowered at the polls. Join your Local League and donate now.
9) Don’t give up. The right to choose should have never been up for debate. Everyone deserves access to safe and legal abortions. And we encourage you to join us until that is the reality across the nation.