Good news, everyone!
Plus an inspiring post from another author
Today, April 20, 2026, the PA Commonwealth Court struck down bans on public funding for abortion! (gift link)
Pennsylvania’s ban on public funding for abortion is unconstitutional, a divided Commonwealth Court ruled Monday.
In reaching that conclusion, the statewide court that oversees government-related matters recognized “a fundamental right to reproductive autonomy” in the Pennsylvania Constitution.
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In reaching that conclusion, the statewide court that oversees government-related matters recognized “a fundamental right to reproductive autonomy” in the Pennsylvania Constitution.
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Recognizing the right is necessary to restrict government “attempts to coerce reproductive choice,” Judge Matthew Wolf wrote, a Democrat, for the majority.
“Those choices are the People’s, not the government’s,” Wolf wrote.
Actually, Judge Matthew, those choices are WOMEN’S, not “the People’s.” (Yes, I know what he meant, but still!)
The ruling is the latest in a lawsuit filed in 2019 on behalf of seven abortion providers who argued the coverage restriction violates the Equal Rights Amendment because it excludes women and there is no comparable exclusion for men’s reproductive health. The limit on Medicaid funding amounts to an abortion restriction for poor women, attorneys for the providers told the court.
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“The fundamental right of a woman to decide whether to give birth is not subordinate to policy considerations favored by transient legislatures,” Donohue wrote on their behalf. “We conclude that the Pennsylvania Constitution secures the fundamental right to reproductive autonomy.” [Emphasis added.]
Judge Christine Donohue gets it right!
Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro declined to defend Our Fair Commonwealth’s ban on public funding for abortion. Instead, Republican PA Attorney General Dave Sunday defended it.
More good news: Workplace relief is coming for [WOMEN] employees with period pain or hot flashes in Philly.
Perimenopause is the transitional period before menopause, marked by fluctuations in the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Menopause marks the end of the reproductive years, defined by not having a period for 12 consecutive months.
Good frickin’ grief! Why can’t this woman law professor, Ann Juliano, use the word WOMEN in her description of WOMEN’S bodies?? Whose “reproductive years,” Ann?
Experts in medicine and public health testified before Philadelphia City Council and described the physical and emotional symptoms women and girls may face during these life stages. These symptoms include abdominal or pelvic cramping, fatigue, mood changes, headaches, irregular menstrual cycles, hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and cognitive changes. [Emphasis added.]
There ya go, Professor. Was using “women and girls” so hard?
Now Our Fair Commonwealth needs to adopt these same nondiscrimination provisions for woman and girls statewide.
On her Substack, Bridget Phetasy wrote A Love Letter to the Sane Women Holding It Down:
I’ve been wanting to write this for a while because, more often than not, I find myself doomscrolling, screaming “NOT ALL WOMEN!” It seems like most of the women represented in media are, for lack of a better word, insane. I blame the algorithms for elevating the craziest of us. So this is for you—the woman reading this who has been quietly holding it together while the world loses its collective mind. [Emphasis in the original.]
Do read Ms Phetasy’s entire post. It’s lovely. [h/t Kara Dansky]