On Jan. 25, Pennsylvania senate Republicans introduced a constitutional amendment which would establish that there is no constitutional right to abortion or taxpayer funding of abortion in the state.
While Gov. Tom Wolf vowed to veto proposed anti-abortion legislation, any proposed constitutional amendment in Pennsylvania would be presented as a separate ballot question in an upcoming election, Eyewitness News reported. This means Wolf cannot veto the proposed constitutional amendment, because it’s voters’ decision.
If approved by Pennsylvanian voters, state courts would be prevented from protecting abortion care in the absence of federal protections, according to Pennsylvania ACLU. This would prohibit the state from funding healthcare entities, like Medicaid, if they provide access to abortions.
The bill’s passage would drastically reduce the ability for Pennsylvanian women to receive safe abortions as they’d have to pay out of pocket for the procedure due to insurance no longer covering it.
While the proposed legislation won’t be on the ballot in the near future, Pennsylvanian voters must prepare to fight against this constitutional amendment. They can do so by registering to vote as soon as possible, donating to and protesting with groups like Planned Parenthood and voting for a governor who will protect abortions in this year’s gubenatorial election.
“It could affect every woman if it bans state funding,” said Bernie Newman, a sociology professor. “Particularly for those of us who have fewer choices, fewer resources, less likelihood to be able to travel to another state or to arrange for private funding.”
This amendment specifically affects lower-income women because higher-income women can typically afford to pay out of pocket, said Prachi Gupta, an economics professor.
While the loss of state funding and the rising costs of abortions increase the financial burden on all women, this bill will effectively make abortions unobtainable for women experiencing poverty.
Surgical abortions in the first trimester can cost up to $1,500, but the cost increases as the pregnancy progresses, according to North Care Women’s Clinic, a non-profit medical clinic licensed by Pennsylvania.
In 2020, 12.9 percent of working-age women in Pennsylvania had incomes below the poverty line, according to Talk Poverty, a project of the Center for American Progress that covers poverty in America.
“There has been increase in financial hardships for women who are turned away or cannot access abortion,” said Lauren Barbato, a third-year Ph.D. religion student and a Religion and Human Sexuality teacher’s assisstant. “There’s massive financial impacts.”
Removing the right to an abortion can also push financially-vulnerable women into poverty.
Women who want an abortion but are denied one are more likely to spend years experiencing poverty than women who are able to end their pregnancies, CBS News reported. Oftentimes, this is because the woman seeking an abortion aren’t financially able to cover the costs of food, housing or other basic living expenses.
The average cost of having a baby in Pennsylvania is $6,850, but can increase to $10,266 if a Cesarean section is needed. In addition, the weekly cost of childcare in Pennsylvania is $290 per child, according to an August 2020 study by the Institute of State and Regional Affairs.
Therefore, if a Pennsylvanian woman’s income is less than $13,590, which is the poverty income for a household of one, they would barely afford a birth by Cesarean section, and would only be able to afford care for two months after having the child.
If the bill is approved by voters, women experiencing poverty will be set up to fail because they do not have the means to properly support a child and pay for childcare.
Voters have the power to help fight for Pennsylvania women’s rights through protests, advocacy and donations.
People must take advantage of the time available while the bill is in the Pennsylvania General Assembly to promote the right to abortion funding from the state to protect women’s physical and financial health.
The consequences of abortion restrictions can be lifelong and devastating, Newman said.
“She may be forced to seek means to have more unsafe processes to try to terminate the pregnancy out of desperation when we don’t provide the access,” Newman said.
Women who are denied an abortion are more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety, lower life satisfaction and lower self-esteem compared to women who received an abortion, according to American Psychological Association.
With ample time ahead, voters cannot wait until the election to make their decision. They must take advantage of the time they currently have by registering to vote early, advocating for leaders who will support abortion rights and donating and protesting with groups like Planned Parenthood or the National Network of Abortion funds.
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