The measure, which would require a second round of legislative approval, is the first step to enable a ballot question on a constitutional amendment that would declare that the Pennsylvania Constitution does not protect the right to abortion nor any right to public funding for abortion.

“Anti-abortion legislators in the Pennsylvania Senate … are using the constitutional amendment process to bypass the governor and they are legislating in the middle of the night to avoid your scrutiny as they erode your rights,” said PPPA executive director Signe Espinoza. “It’s shameful, undemocratic and wrong.”