Powell, Howard, Daley & Shusterman advocate for reproductive rights in Harrisburg
Rep. Lindsay Powell, Rep. Melissa Shusterman, Rep. Mary Jo Daley April 7, 2025 | 5:11 PM
HARRISBURG, April 7 – State Reps. Lindsay Powell, Kristine C. Howard, Mary Jo Daley and Melissa Shusterman rallied for reproductive rights today in the state Capitol Rotunda, alongside Planned Parenthood PA advocates.
“In this post-Roe era, the blurred lines between legality and restriction have dangerously entangled law, politics and human life,” Powell, D-Allegheny, said. “Elected officials take an oath of office to defend the rights of the people, not strip them away for the sake of political agendas. This is a battle we cannot afford to lose.”
“While abortion remains legal in Pennsylvania, it is heavily regulated by the Abortion Control Act, a Reagan-era law that became the playbook for abortion restrictions nationwide,” Howard, D-Chester, added. “My legislation, the Reproductive Freedom Act, would eliminate this law and replace it with a much more perfect statutory scheme, a more rational and compassionate model positioning Pennsylvania as a leader in reproductive rights.”
"Our state must be a place where personal freedoms are protected and where every resident can access health care without interference," Daley, D-Montgomery, and co-chair of the PA Women's Health Caucus, said. "By supporting these safeguards, we affirm our shared commitment to personal liberty, civil discourse and the protection of every Pennsylvanian’s right to seek care safely and freely."
“We need to be lifting up our medical community and lift up our medical community to learn more about women,” Shusterman, D-Chester, added. “Women are our future leaders, and we’re tired of sharing our private business.”
Powell has introduced legislation that would establish a state version of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE, protecting Pennsylvanians seeking reproductive health care services and providers of such services.
Shusterman has introduced legislation that would protect access to emergency health care by codifying the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act into state law. She is also spearheading a bill that would cover abortions through PA’s Health Insurance Exchange.