Two Proposed Ballot Measures for 2024
For the full list of referendums we’re tracking, see our home page.
Childhood Sexual Abuse Retroactive Lawsuits for Two-Year Period Amendment
hoped for Ballot: 2024
See the Ballotpedia page for more details and updates.
Current status: a legislatively-referred amendment, it passed the required second time in both houses by February 24, 2023. Ballotpedia still lists it as a “may appear.” We will list it as being on the ballot when they do.
It would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to create a two-year period in which persons can file civil suits arising from childhood sexual abuse that would otherwise be considered outside the statute of limitations.
Connections Between Sexual Abuse and Abortion
Clearly, the ideal way to avoid the rape-and-incest exception to abortion availability is to avoid the rape and incest. The more the law helps prevent such sexual violence, and therefore the resulting pregnancies, it also prevents the violence of aborting those pregnancies.
We can make the case that abortion actually makes sexual violence more likely to occur, as we do in these blog posts:
Abortion Facilitates Sex Abuse: Documentation
How Abortion is Useful for Rape Culture
The Message of “Never Rarely Sometimes Always”: Abortion Gets Sexual Predators Off the Hook
We want to avoid any false dichotomy between the abused and the unborn. One of these two categories of human beings is more directly targeted for dehumanization and killing, but both are vulnerable groups in need of protection. They are too often unjustly pitted against each other in debates. Yet ready abortion availability hurts both. And any measure that serves to help stop abuse will help avoid violence to both.
No Constitutional Right to an Abortion Amendment
hoped for Ballot: 2024
See the Ballotpedia page for more details and updates.
Current status: On July 8, 2022, both the state Senate and House passed this. It must also pass in the current legislative term to go on the ballot. The governor is suing to keep it off.
See our page on State Constitutions and Abortion for more information about what’s happening around the U.S.
See our page on State Constitutions and Abortion for more information about what’s happening around the U.S.
Background:
A lawsuit is currently on appeal in which plaintiffs are hoping the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will declare abortion and taxpayer funding to be a “right” under the Pennsylvania constitution:
Allegheny Reproductive Health Center. v. Pennsylvania. Department of Human Services.
This amendment would counter that. It is also a response to the Dobbs decision of June 24, 2022, overturning Roe v. Wade.
See:
Memorandum by the prime sponsor in the Senate, Senator Judy Ward.
Memorandum by the prime sponsor in the House, Representative Donna Oberlander.
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