Bucks County-based Planned Parenthood of PA vows to 'fight like hell' after Supreme Court leak

"We are going to fight like hell."

Planned Parenthood Keystone President and CEO Mellissa Reed on Tuesday pledged to fight for continued abortion rights in Pennsylvania, following a leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade.

"We are definitely going to have to take this fight to Congress and to state lawmakers to ensure that people have the bodily autonomy that we deserve," Reed said. "We will be fighting like hell. This shows the consequences of elections."

The draft opinion, confirmed by the Supreme Court but not official, has thrust abortion into the spotlight across the country, but particularly in Pennsylvania, which has no law guaranteeing the right to an abortion.

Republicans in the General Assembly have attempted to pass measures banning abortion, but none have made it past Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's desk. That all could change, however, in this year's election, which will decide Pennsylvania's next governor.

"Today, I am angry," said Wolf on Wednesday. "The right to bodily autonomy is under attack. Overturning Roe v. Wade isn't about preserving life. It's about exerting control. I don't think it's possible to overemphasize the seismic shift this represents in America's approach to privacy, to personal autonomy, to health care rights. I stand today assuring Pennsylvanians that abortion access and reproductive health care will remain legal and safe as long as I am governor."

Conservatives and some religious groups cheered the news. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, abortion could be immediately illegal in nearly half of the 50 U.S. states and affecting more than 30 million women.

“What a wonderful opportunity," said Tom Stevens, president and CEO of the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia. "We hope and pray that the final decision looks like the draft. It will be a momentous victory for our nation, for women and families, and for the unborn.”

The overthrow of Roe v. Wade seemed impossible only a few years ago, said Stevens on Wednesday. "We have a conservative court and the perfect case to see this decision overturned," he said.

A decision could be announced in June.

Based in Warminster, Planned Parenthood Keystone works with chapters in Harrisburg and Philadelphia to provide reproductive health services to more than 22,000 women per year, said Reed. Every year, the organization performs about 7,500 medically induced or surgical abortions, Reed estimated.

A closer look:Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling could limit clinics in PA. A look at where centers are located

Such procedures will not cease with a Supreme Court ruling, said Reed. More women instead will turn to unsafe and self-managed abortions and those with money will travel further to obtain the procedure legally, he said.

"People will have to travel further to get an abortion and this will lead to abortions later in pregnancy," said Reed. "Black, Latina, indigenous people, and those who are low income will be the most affected by this."

In 1973, Roe v. Wade changed the legal status of abortion by striking down a Texas law that criminalized abortion. But the justices later ruled that states could withhold government funds for abortion programs and establish conditions such as a 24-hour waiting period and parental consent for minors to terminate a pregnancy.

Thirteen states have enacted so-called "trigger laws" that would make abortions illegal if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the court. Eight states still maintain abortion laws from 1973 and before the Roe v. Wade case.

Delaware, New Jersey, and New York are among 16 states that went in the opposite direction. Each has specific provisions in their state laws protecting a woman’s right to have an abortion.

How the abortion issue can swing voters

From earlier this year:Pa. Republicans 'close' to stopping abortions in state. Why Dems are worried this time

Pennsylvania law could change with the election of a Republican governor. Republicans control the state Senate and House and have introduced measures to ban abortion, which have not made it past Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's desk.

In January, state Rep. Donna Oberlander — the majority whip — introduced a measure to amend the state constitution “providing that there is no right to abortion or funding for an abortion.”

A similar bill was introduced in April by Republican state Senator Judy Ward, of Blair County.

The May 17 primary is barely two weeks away, when Republican and Democratic voters will choose their respective candidates for Congress, governor and members of the General Assembly.

If it turns out that the leaked opinion holds true when the court is expected to rule months from now, it could be the “trigger issue” for swing voters, said Sam Chen, a political commentator in Pennsylvania and head of Northampton Community College’s political science department.

Longtime Pennsylvania political analyst G. Terry Madonna said he can’t see any situation where abortion isn’t the top issue in November if the leak holds true.

“This now moves abortion to center stage … I don’t think that you can reach any other conclusion than this makes abortion a top issue in the fall election,” Madonna said.

Members of the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia said they will "pray for a pro-life governor."

"It is something to rejoice, to be thankful for, and to give praise to God for, but it is something that should also inspire us to work even harder," said Stevens. "Because if Roe is finally overturned, our work only increases. The ultimate goal of the pro-life movement is for abortion to be eradicated."

More:PA congresswoman: 'Unprecedented national movement' must push Senate to protect abortion rights

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Planned Parenthood of PA to 'fight like hell' after Supreme Court leak