Reproductive rights supporters in Pennsylvania say their hopes have been raised for expanding abortion access in the state. That’s after Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court ruled that a lower court must hear a case challenging a ban on the use of government-funded healthcare to pay for abortion. The supporters say the ruling Monday might open the way for establishing a constitutional right to the procedure. The case, brought by abortion providers in the state, challenged a decades-old state law barring Medicaid from covering abortions, arguing that it should be overturned because it violates the broader rights guaranteed by the state constitution’s Equal Rights Amendment. Monday’s 3-2 ruling both overturns a lower court decision to dismiss the case.
