The June 24 SCOTUS decision overturning Roe v. Wade leaves it up to states to allow or restrict access to abortion. Here in Pennsylvania, we are fortunate to still have access to all necessary reproductive care. However, the ONLY thing protecting this access is Gov. Wolf’s promise to veto any bill that restricts abortion services in PA.

On Friday July 8, the PA General Assembly voted to pass a constitutional amendment stating there is no right to abortive care granted in the PA state constitution. If it passes once more, the governor will have no power to veto it, and it could be on the ballot in PA as soon as Spring 2023.

Make no mistake, our Republican majority legislature would love nothing more than to eliminate choice in our state. Republican candidate for governor Doug Mastriano has also made his anti-choice views very clear. It is vitally important that we not only hold onto the Governor’s seat by working to elect Josh Shapiro, but that we also flip the PA Legislature to a democratic majority. We can’t have only one man safeguarding the rights of the citizens of Pennsylvania.

The fact that the Roe decision was based on a right to privacy has far reaching effects beyond reproductive rights. It places other decisions predicated on this right to privacy at risk, including:

• Same-sex marriage
• Access to contraception
• Interracial marriage