Elected officials gather to further reproductive rights for all Pennsylvanians

Legislators from across the state gathered on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, for Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates’ (PPPA) first-ever virtual legislative convening! This year’s convening brought together 70 attendees, including elected officials and their staffers.

“What Planned Parenthood does here in Pennsylvania and all across the country is really truly important, and people do support what we're doing, despite the narrative that gets put out there by anti-choice politicians,” said Senator Amanda Cappelletti, who is a co-chair of the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus (WHC).

Support for access to abortion crosses party affiliations — with more than 60 percent of all voters wanting abortion to remain legal in all or most cases (NIRH, 2020). When people can make decisions that are best for their lives, including the personal decision about whether or not to have an abortion, families thrive, and we build communities where each of us can participate with dignity and equality.

“There is a concerted effort to limit access to reproductive care. Some of our colleagues just limit that focus on abortion access, as if the rest of the 364 days of our lives just doesn't matter, and that we shouldn't be working towards improving outcomes,” said Representative Morgan Cephas, who is also a co-chair of the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus (WHC).

It is imperative PPPA continues collaborating with coalition partners across Pennsylvania to work with legislators who are committed to advocating for sexual and reproductive health care while also holding anti-abortion legislators accountable as they continue to fail their constituents.

Special thanks to staff from the National Institute for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Keystone, Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania, Women’s Law Project, The Women’s Centers, Gwen’s Girls, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the School District of Philadelphia, for co-facilitating and serving as panelists in our multiple breakout sessions throughout the convening.

To learn more about PPPA's 2021 Legislative Convening, click here.

Tags: legislature, reproductiverights, policy