By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
Recent special elections in Pennsylvania have helped to usher in a new era in the Keystone State—an era in which, sadly, preborn children and their mothers face new legislative attacks.
With Democrats winning all three February special elections, the leadership of the PA House of Representatives is now in pro-abortion hands. As a result, citizens are bracing for a pro-abortion legislative assault from the lower chamber.
Pro-abortion legislative leaders would like to dismantle the Abortion Control Act. That landmark law was the basis of the U.S. Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992. The law not only served as a model for the rest of the nation, but also gave rise to hundreds of additional protections for preborn children and their mothers throughout the various states.
The Abortion Control Act (ACA) is a common sense law which provides for informed consent, parental consent, a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, a late-term abortion ban, and a ban on sex selection abortions.
It will be incumbent on pro-life advocates in Pennsylvania to contact their state representatives and make the case that the ACA is a time-tested law and should not be changed. Ironically, the move to dismantle the ACA comes at a time when abortions are on the rise in PA—fueled by a dramatic increase in chemical abortions.
Abortion facilities throughout the Commonwealth are also openly marketing to women in other states, hoping to boost their bottom lines with customers beyond Pennsylvania’s borders. Abortion business executives have made it clear—they want to expand abortion in Pennsylvania.
Statistics show 33,206 abortions took place in Pennsylvania in 2021, an increase of 1,083 abortions over the 2020 total of 32,123. Imagine how many kindergarten classes the number 1,083 represents. We mourn the loss of these precious children, who never got the chance to see their mother’s face.
Thankfully, the Pennsylvania state Senate stands as a firewall against pro-abortion initiatives coming from a hostile PA House of Representatives and Governor’s Office. The upper chamber will no doubt be playing defense against what is expected to be a flurry of pro-abortion legislation coming from the PA House.
Gratefully, PA is also home to a vibrant, energetic pro-life movement which stands ready to defend the most vulnerable among us—no matter what the political odds