Key Points:
-
A consortium of abortion clinics have sued Pennsylvania, arguing that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court should force taxpayers to fund abortion and to find (invent) a right to abortion in the Pennsylvania Constitution.
-
A win for the abortion industry in this case would force taxpayer funding of abortion, and would likely establish a right to an abortion in Pennsylvania’s Constitution.
-
If abortion is declared a constitutional right in Pennsylvania, all current and future pro-life regulations would be in jeopardy of being struck down
The Threat
The Pennsylvania Constitution contains no right to an abortion or to taxpayer funded abortions, but the abortion industry is asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to find (invent) one in a case they filed, Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v. Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
The case, brought by a consortium of abortion clinics (including Planned Parenthood) argues that the court should declare a right to abortion and taxpayer-funded abortions in the Pennsylvania Constitution.
A win for the abortion industry in this case would not only force taxpayers to fund abortion, but a court-imposed state-constitutional “right to abortion” could lead to all of Pennsylvania’s current pro-life laws being struck down,and could result in legalizing abortion right up until birth, paid for with taxpayer dollars. Any future pro-life laws enacted to protect women’s health and preborn babies lives would likely be struck down under such a ruling. Current pro-life regulations in the Abortion Control Act, such as the 24-hour waiting period requirements, informed consent, and 24 week abortion limit would be in jeopardy of being repealed and ruled unconstitutional. The same is true with abortion clinic regulations put into place to protect women, passed into our law after the Kermit Gosnell “House of Horrors” scandal.
In addition to the lawsuit, the Abortion Industry is also trying the legislative route. House Bill 1888 would also create a constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion in Pennsylvania’s constitution and remove our current pro-life protections.
The Lawsuit Status:
The Commonwealth Court ruled against the abortion industry in the Allegheny Reproductive v. Pennsylvania case on March 26, 2021. But the abortion industry appealed to the PA Supreme Court. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that there is no “fundamental right” to abortion, but three justices (Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht) overruled longstanding precedent that prohibited taxpayer funding of elective abortions. Justices Donohue and Wecht expressed interest in recognizing a right to abortion, while Justices Sally Mundy and Debra Todd dissented, with Mundy arguing the issue should be resolved by the political branches, not the courts. Justice Kevin Brobson abstained, and there was a vacancy on the court. The case was remanded to the Commonwealth Court, which heard oral arguments in February 2025. Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration had announced early on that they would not defend the law but would advocate for striking down the Medicaid funding ban.
Conclusion:
If the Abortion Industry gets their way, the PA Supreme Court ruling would force state taxpayer funding of abortions, strike down parental consent and 24 hour waiting period requirements, end health and safety regulations to protect women at abortion clinics, and worse. And any future legislation to protect women and babies would be found unconstitutional. Pennsylvania would join a list of states where lawsuits have already resulted in those state supreme courts “finding” a right to abortion in their constitutions, thereby striking down pro-life laws just like ours.

Related Articles
Parental Rights Undermined by Homosexual Agenda
From Alliance Defense Fund blog: Should our parental rights to raise our children be trumped by our children’s sexual choices—those which are championed by radical groups such as the ACLU (complaining that abstinence programs do not work because “they leave teens in...
Bill to Prevent Taxpayer Funding of Abortion on Its Way to Passage
House Bill 1977, introduced by Rep. Donna Oberlander, R-Clarion County, is to prevent coverage for most abortions under the exchanges because they will be supported with public money. She said her bill is consistent with existing state law that prevents public money...
Obama Plans to Push LGBT Rights Across the Globe
From our friends at the Family Research Council: The Obama administration put a bow on its efforts to radicalize other countries on the issue of homosexuality. In their observance of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, President Obama and Secretary of...
Bills Introduced to Stop Sex Trafficking at Massage Parlors in PA
From PA Independent: Bipartisan state House and Senate proposals, House Bill 235 and Senate Bill 338, would require rest-stops, bars, motels, welcome areas, strip clubs, massage parlors and other businesses to post an 8 ½-inch-by-11-inch sign with a 28-point font size...
Child Taken from Mother Because of Weight
The overreaching arm of government: An Ohio third-grader will spend his ninth birthday waiting for a court ruling on whether he's too fat to live at home with his mother. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that social workers took the 200-lb. Cleveland Heights boy...
Abortion Agenda Trumps Helping Those in Slavery
According to the Washington Post, the decision to pull the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) funding wasn't based on agency reviews, but on religious bias. Under Health and Human Services' own evaluation process, the USCCB scored "excellent" marks for its...
Watch the Thanksgiving Family Forum with GOP Presidential Candidates
Citizenlink.com and the National Organization for Marriage hosted the first Thanksgiving Family Forum with the GOP presidential candidates. Click here to watch the two hour event.
Senators Block Pro-Abortion Provisions in Spending Bill
Pro-life senators joined forces to block an appropriations bill that would have opened the door to more taxpayer funding of abortion. According to a report from the National Right to Life Committee, the bill contained seven different pro-abortion provisions, including...