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Gov. Tom Wolf sues Pa. Legislature over proposed abortion amendment
Subhead:
Mr. Wolf petitioned the state’s highest court Thursday, asking it to use its extraordinary and rarely used “King’s Bench” power to skip litigating the case in the state’s lower courts and expedite review of the case.
(link) https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2022/07/28/pennsylvania-govenor-tom-wolf-sues-stop-republicans-amendments-abortion-voting-supreme-court-veto-if/stories/202207280130
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf sued the GOP-controlled General Assembly on Thursday, asking the state Supreme Court to block a package of five constitutional amendments from advancing, including one proposed amendment that would declare there is no right to abortion in the state.
In a 56-page filing, Mr. Wolf argued that the proposed amendment to declare there is no right to an abortion in the state would violate the state’s constitutional right to privacy. He also argued that the way these amendments were advanced — five constitutional amendments that were all placed into the same legislative resolution — is unconstitutional, because there was no opportunity for them to be voted on separately.
GOP leaders in a Senate committee amended Senate Bill 106 after 11 p.m. on July 7 to include two additional constitutional amendments: one that would declare Pennsylvanians do not have any rights “relating to an abortion” and another that would require voters to provide a government ID to cast a ballot.
The amendment would not outright ban abortions in Pennsylvania. Abortions will remain accessible to people in Pennsylvania for up to 24 weeks of a pregnancy, per the state’s Abortion Control Act.
In a 56-page filing, Mr. Wolf argued that the proposed amendment to declare there is no right to an abortion in the state would violate the state’s constitutional right to privacy. He also argued that the way these amendments were advanced — five constitutional amendments that were all placed into the same legislative resolution — is unconstitutional, because there was no opportunity for them to be voted on separately.
GOP leaders in a Senate committee amended Senate Bill 106 after 11 p.m. on July 7 to include two additional constitutional amendments: one that would declare Pennsylvanians do not have any rights “relating to an abortion” and another that would require voters to provide a government ID to cast a ballot.
The amendment would not outright ban abortions in Pennsylvania. Abortions will remain accessible to people in Pennsylvania for up to 24 weeks of a pregnancy, per the state’s Abortion Control Act.
- more at link -
A PDF copy of the Governor's brief can be downloaded here: https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/22122843/application-for-extraordinary-relief-00615126xbf28f.pdf
Well this is an interesting development that bears watching. Thank you Gov. Wolf!
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How lucky we are to have him for 8 years. Thank you Tom Wolf!