Today is a sad day for Pennsylvania women. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals refused to hear arguments on the Planned Parenthood vs. Casey case. As a result of this refusal, Gov. Robert P. Casey has asked that the injunction against the state's Abortion Control Act be lifted within the next 20 days.

Unless Planned Parenthood immediately appeals this decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is being considered, implementation of the Abortion Control Act could occur within the next month.

We now will have mandatory delays and excessive expenses for all pregnant women who choose abortion. Women will be required to listen to an anti-choice script that is dictated by state law; it does not consider each woman's individual situation.

The law also forces a young woman to obtain parental permission, even when notification presents a life-threatening situation for her. The excessive burden of the law falls primarily on young women and poor women. The mandatory delay is especially burdensome on women in rural counties such as ours; this delay will result in additional travel time, lost work time and/or temporary housing costs.

Along with creating burdensome expenses and delays, implementation of the Abortion Control Act will have further repercussions. Forced parenthood and unsafe, back alley abortions may occur.

The law also provides anti-choice criminals more opportunity to harass a woman and her family when she seeks an abortion.

This is a wake-up call to pro-choice voters. Electing a pro-choice president has not secured Pennsylvanians' right to choose.

Write to your state representative and senator to ask them to immediately repeal this act. And when you vote on May 10 and Nov. 8, remember that Ruth Rudy and J. Doyle Corman voted against the act while Lynn Herman and Bud George voted for it.

Lynn Herman and Bud George need to know that their anti-choice votes are unacceptable.