A new two-year legislative session just kicked off in Harrisburg!
We’re preparing to fight more brute power grabs—like last session’s notorious midnight raid on our rights—while working to defend and expand abortion access, fight for LGBTQ+ equality, protect transgender kids, improve maternal health, and increase economic security.
Playing defense on power-grab constitutional amendments
The goal of last session’s midnight raid was to advance a package of constitutional amendments that would undermine the democratic process in Pennsylvania by increasing state lawmakers’ power at the expense of the executive and judicial branches.
It also included an anti-abortion amendment designed to strip our rights from the state constitution and pave the way to ban abortion in Pennsylvania.
As we recently told WITF, we all need to sustain our opposition to the anti-abortion amendment and the rest of the power-grab package until the end of 2024, when they expire.
Our vision goes far beyond defense
We will be working to repeal politically imposed, medically unnecessary restrictions on access to abortion care, strengthen telemedicine for reproductive health services, and address anti-abortion violence and harassment.
We must also protect pregnant workers. If you missed it, Congress passed the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) in December. This landmark civil rights law seeks to ensure pregnant and postpartum workers are not forced off the job and have access to temporary, reasonable accommodations in the workplace without facing discrimination or retaliation. While we applaud this incredible victory, the state version is still a priority because it would apply to more people and expand paths for Pennsylvanians to address this insidious type of pregnancy discrimination.
Similarly, we continue to call for the General Assembly to pass the Pennsylvania Workplace Accommodations for Nursing Mothers Act despite the passage of the federal Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act).
We will also continue advocating for statewide anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians and fair labor conditions, including paid leave and raising the minimum wage above the currently enforced poverty wage of $7.25/hour.
We’ll send more details as legislation is introduced in the coming months. And if you have any questions about our policy work, please get in touch!
Women’s Law Project is a non-profit public interest law center in Pennsylvania devoted to advancing and defending the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people in Pennsylvania and beyond.
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