Supreme Court impact echoes locally

May 4—News — in the form of a leaked draft of a possible written decision — that the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide sent shockwaves across the nation.

That included Mercer County.

Kim Powell, a Hermitage resident and registered nurse who is active with local Democratic party groups, called news of the leaked draft "unbelievable."

If the draft is legitimate — and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed Tuesday that it was, according to the Associated Press — it would open the door to states passing their own laws on abortion and could allow them to make the procedure almost entirely illegal.

Several states have already passed trigger laws, which would automatically outlaw abortions in those states if the Supreme Court overturns the landmark decision.

In that case, Powell would look to Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, to preserve women's reproductive freedom in Pennsylvania. With Republicans controlling the state legislature, Wolf has already vetoed several bills that would have limited abortion rights.

The governor, however, is in the final year of his second term in office and is prohibited from running again. Powell said she supports Attorney General Josh Shapiro — the presumptive Democratic nominee heading into the May 17 primary — to continue blocking anti-abortion legislation if he prevails in the November general election.

"It's so important to vote for people who are going to protect those rights," Powell said.

Many have taken Roe v. Wade for granted, thinking that abortion rights would continue to be protected, said Powell, president of the Democrat Women of Mercer County and treasurer of the Mercer County Democratic Party.

Powell said she hopes that the prospect of Roe v. Wade being overturned and depriving millions of American women of what she considers necessary women's health care will galvanize women into voting in this year's midterm elections.

Her further concern is that the court's overrule of Roe v. Wade could leave other decisions vulnerable to being reversed — including Obergefell, which legalized marriage equality; Lawrence, which prohibited anti-sodomy laws; or even the 1967 Loving decision, which legalized interracial marriage.

U.S. Sen. Robert Casey — whose father, former Pennsylvania Gov. Robert Casey, was a prominent Democratic opponent of abortion — expressed concern for the decision's effects.

"If this draft opinion becomes the final opinion of the Court, I have serious concerns about what overturning almost 50 years of legal precedent will mean for women in states passing near or total bans on abortion," the senator said. "Congress should be working to reduce the number of abortions and unintended pregnancies and doing much more to support women and families."

If the draft decision — written by Justice Samuel Alito, and affirmed by four other justices from the Supreme Court's conservative wing — turns out to be final, it would represent a policy goal Republicans have been working toward for decades.

But local Republicans were muted in their response to the news.

Ginny Richardson, Mercer County Republican chairwoman, declined to comment on behalf of the county party.

State Rep. Tim Bonner, R-8, Pine Township, said he was disappointed that someone leaked the draft of a Supreme Court opinion.

He said it's not uncommon to circulate multiple versions of a legal opinion to get feedback from colleagues, but it is a "rare instance" for a Supreme Court draft to be made public.

Bonner remembers being in law school when the Roe v. Wade decision came down in 1973. He called it a "shock to the country."

He said legal abortion violates a fetus' most basic right — the right to life.

Bonner, an attorney, said Alito's draft might not have represented the end result.

"Drafts of opinions don't always turn out to be the final decision," he said.

Bonner is not putting a great deal of belief in the draft being the final decision, which will likely be issued in June.

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16, Butler, called the leaked draft represents a "major victory for the pro-life movement," if the document represents a final decision.

"I've spent many years advocating for the unborn and the principle that abortion laws should be enacted by the people's elected representatives, not activist Justices," he said in a statement. "I'm proud to be an advocate for the unborn and I will continue to advance my legislation, the Heartbeat Protection Act, through Congress in the months and years to come."

He credited the work by himself and other activists in overturning what had been considered settled Supreme Court precedent.

"If the reports are true about the upcoming decision, then the marches, the speeches, the standing, the dedication, the faith, and the prayers did avail much for a greater moral good."

Herald Business Editor Michael Roknick contributed to this story.