Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has recently appealed to the state Supreme Court to challenge a ruling that invalidated a ban on public funding for abortion in the state. Sunday’s appeal sparked outrage among Pennsylvania residents, as many believed that he was acting in an undemocratic manner regarding women’s reproductive rights.
The Republican attorney general asked the court to review whether judges were wrong in striking down a 2024 law that limited Medicaid funding for abortions, after the court ruled that reproductive autonomy is a “fundamental right” in Pennsylvania. The law was originally signed by Governor Josh Shapiro but was later struck down by the Commonwealth Court.
As reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday claimed to be “defending the rule of law” without “interference of personal opinion or politics” in his appeal. The case will now go to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, where it will be reviewed again.
Pennsylvania Residents Are Not Happy With Dave Sunday
During the discussion regarding the appeal on Reddit’s r/Pennsylvania, most opinions were that the attorney general was, himself, using personal views to interfere in the ruling. One user said, “The overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians support the right to access safe reproductive healthcare. He is actively undermining the rights and the will of the people he’s supposed to work for and represent,” claiming that the AG was acting in an undemocratic way.
Others criticized the attorney general, saying, “This is why you don’t elect Republicans. The case has already been decided, but he is going to waste our money anyway.” Someone else wrote, “Sunday is a Trump stand-in. He’ll sue on cases because he’s anti abortion, but he won’t bring cases against Trump’s administration.”
Some users also wondered whether it was a political move on Sunday’s part: “Sunday is positioning himself to run for governor in 2030, I betcha. His chances could be dampened if he loses reelection as AG in 2028.”
In any case, the decision has been controversial, and it will likely face strong opposition from people and organizations that defend women’s reproductive rights in Pennsylvania, regardless of what is decided by the local Supreme Court.
