PENNSYLVANIA — This week, the Supreme Court heard a Mississippi challenge to Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and last month they heard a challenge to Texas’ extreme and wildly unpopular abortion ban — and the next Governor could determine whether a dangerous, draconian abortion ban becomes law in Pennsylvania.
A majority of Americans support the rights afforded to women under Roe and oppose Texas’ extreme abortion ban — but the far-right PA-Gov candidates are all-in on their endorsement of anti-abortion bills in a desperate effort to win over the conservative hardliners. They’ve even praised Texas’ abortion ban, which would effectively outlaw abortion in the state — with no exemptions for rape or incest — and turns citizens into bounty hunters and rewards them for suing individuals who help perform an abortion.
Democratic Governor Tom Wolf has vowed to veto anti-choice legislation — and Pennsylvania Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro has pledged to defend Pennsylvanians’ reproductive rights from Republican attacks. But if a Republican is elected Governor, there is little stopping them from effectively outlawing abortion throughout the Commonwealth.
“Roe v. Wade is under threat like never before, and if the conservative majority strikes it down, there would be nothing stopping a Republican Governor from outlawing abortion in Pennsylvania, too,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesperson Marisa Nahem. “The far-right GOP primary candidates are dangerously out-of-touch — they want to ban abortion and force their extreme and unpopular agenda on our Commonwealth — but Pennsylvanians don’t want to go back to 1973 and they’re going to defeat them at the ballot box next year.”
The Republican candidates for governor have made clear that they will pursue a radical anti-choice agenda:
Doug Mastriano:
Texas’ abortion ban is “great news” and he’s “obviously very excited and happy about” it.
Mastriano called on Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman to have the “courage” to push this legislation in Pennsylvania. In fact, he has co-sponsored legislation that would effectively ban abortion after 6 weeks, with no “exemptions to the law for cases involving incest or rape.” Mastriano also signed onto a brief in the Mississippi SCOTUS case in support of overturning Roe v. Wade.
Lou Barletta:
Barletta stated he would defund “organizations like Planned Parenthood.”
Jake Corman:
“I’ll be a pro-life governor,”
Corman supported “one of the strictest abortion laws in the country” at the time and his anti-choice votes earned him a 0% rating from Planned Parenthood.
Bill McSwain:
McSwain said he “is pro-life” and he “will sign legislation that protects the unborn and values the dignity and sanctity of human life.”
Joe Gale:
Jason Richey:
Charlie Gerow:
Scott Martin:
“I am a pro-life legislator — I’ve been pro-life all of my life and years of public service.”
Martin joined Doug Mastriano and signed onto a brief in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade.
###