On Monday, a Pennsylvania appellate court ruled that the state constitution guarantees a right to abortion, striking down a long-standing law that prohibited the use of state Medicaid funds for abortion services. This decision marks a significant victory for reproductive rights advocates, including Planned Parenthood, who have been challenging the state's Medicaid funding restrictions since 2019. The ruling comes in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had previously protected federal abortion rights. The court's decision is the first instance of abortion rights being enshrined in the Pennsylvania constitution, aligning the state with a few others that have successfully defended abortion access through state constitutional provisions. Governor Josh Shapiro commended the ruling, asserting that access to reproductive care should not depend on a woman's income. However, the attorney general's office, led by Republican David Sunday, is reviewing the possibility of an appeal. Abortion opponents, including the Pennsylvania Family Institute, criticized the ruling, claiming it mandates taxpayer-funded abortions and disregards the beliefs of many Pennsylvanians regarding the sanctity of life. Currently, abortion remains legal in Pennsylvania up to 23 weeks of pregnancy.