Gov. Wolf calls draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade ‘un-American and unacceptable’

Gov. Tom Wolf said he is angry that a leaked draft ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court outlines an effort to overturn the Roe v. Wade abortion rights ruling

Wolf, along with a group of lawmakers and reproductive rights advocates, met in Philadelphia on Wednesday to criticize the draft opinion that was written by Justice Samuel Alito. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said Tuesday that the leaked opinion is authentic but not final.

“I am angry because the right to bodily autonomy, the right that has been enshrined for decades, is under attack,” said Wolf. “It’s un-American and unacceptable.”

The draft opinion would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case, which granted Americans the right to abortion nearly 50 years ago.

Dayle Steinberg, president of Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania, said abortion is still legal in Pennsylvania despite the draft opinion. She said if the ruling were to be made final, it would represent an “ongoing assault of reproductive freedoms” and would likely lead to 36 states eventually banning abortion.

“It will open the floodgates for states across the country to ban abortion,” said Steinberg.

Wolf, a Democrat, said denying access to abortions would lead to women more likely being stuck in abusive relationships and it would increase levels of economic hardship.

“This ruling is not just about preserving life, it is about exerting control,” said Wolf. “More than a generation of Americans have grown up under this protection.”

According to a March 2022 poll from Franklin & Marshall College, an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians want abortions to remain legal under any or certain circumstances. The poll said only 13% of Pennsylvanians say abortion should be illegal in all circumstances, while 31% say it should be legal under any circumstances, and 53% say legal under certain circumstances.

Wolf reiterated that abortion is still legal in Pennsylvania, and said it will remain so under his tenure. Wolf said any abortion bans or restrictions must be passed by the state legislature. He vowed to veto any bans or restrictions that reach his desk. Pennsylvania is not one of the 13 states that have passed what’s called a “trigger law,” in which abortion become illegal the moment that Roe v. Wade is overturned.

His term ends this year, and Wolf emphasized the importance of electing a pro-choice governor to maintain abortion access in Pennsylvania.

Wolf also called on U.S. Congress to pass the Women’s Protection Act, which would codify abortion rights into federal law.