Jul 12, 2022 4 min read

Many people are asking what the effect of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade will have on Pennsylvanians. With the reversal of Roe v. Wade, the right to regulate abortion now lies with the states. Currently, women in Pennsylvania have the right to make decisions about their own bodies. There is only one reason why we still have that right and it is because we have a Democratic governor. When our Republican-controlled Pennsylvania House and Senate send a bill to the governor’s desk to restrict access to abortion, which they have done, he vetoes it. His veto pen is currently the only thing standing between the government and our bodies.

Unfortunately, with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, nearly half the states in America have severely restricted or outright banned access to abortion. Will Pennsylvania be next?

That decision lies with the voters this November. This November we elect a new governor for Pennsylvania, and this race will determine the future of reproductive rights in Pennsylvania. The contrast between the two candidates, Democrat Josh Shapiro and Republican Doug Mastriano, could not be more stark.

When elected to the state Senate in 2019, Mastriano sponsored a bill that would have effectively banned abortion and was one of the more extreme abortion bills any member has introduced. If elected governor, Mastriano would sign such a bill into law – and go even further. Mastriano believes there should be no exceptions given and supports criminal penalties for doctors and nurses who perform abortions. Mastriano’s so called “pro-life” stance doesn’t extend to pregnant women, as he would provide no exceptions, even when the life of the mother is at risk. Mastriano supports no exceptions for rape, so a rapist can choose the mother of his children. Mastriano supports no exceptions for incest, so a 10-year-old child who has been victimized will be forced to give birth.

Shapiro supports current Pennsylvania law and has stated he would veto any attempt to restrict abortion access. Shapiro has stated, “I believe abortion is health care – and access to abortion must be protected here in Pennsylvania.”

Mastriano’s extreme position on abortion is out of line with public opinion. Only 8% of adults share Mastriano’s view that abortion should be against the law in all cases with no exceptions (Pew Research Center, May 6, 2022). A majority of American adults say that abortion should be legal (Pew Research Center, June 13, 2022) and a majority of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade (NPR/PBS poll June 27, 2022).

We saw this overwhelming bipartisan support for reproductive rights with our own eyes at a We Won’t Go Back protest organized by the Washington County Democratic Committee the week after the Supreme Court ruling. Democrats, Independents, and Republicans joined together in front of the county courthouse in support of abortion access. A crowd estimated at around 500 made clear that we will not remain quiet while our rights are being taken away from us. We saw that day how fired up people are to protect women’s rights.

Elections have consequences. Roe v. Wade was overturned because of the 2016 election. If elected in November, Mastriano and his fellow Republicans will impose their minority opinions on everyone. Women in Pennsylvania will no longer have the right to make health-care decisions for their own body. This is not hyperbole, this is not a maybe, this absolutely unequivocally will happen if Mastriano is elected our next governor.

Vote like your rights depend on it, because they do.

Christina Proctor is chair of the Washington County Democratic Committee.