PA Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Pennsylvanians Living in Poverty

On July 18, by a decision of 7 to 0, the PA Supreme Court took an important step to protect Pennsylvanians living in deep poverty because of serious disability, domestic violence or other factors that prevent them from working.  The court found that 80 of 2012, which eliminated the General Assistance (GA) cash assistance program, was enacted in a manner that violated the Pennsylvania Constitution.

The case was argued by Richard Weishaupt, Senior Attorney at Community Legal Services (CLS).  Weishaupt hailed the decision as a great victory for those harmed by the law.  He said, "At a time when many Pennsylvanians wait two years to appeal their denial of Social Security disability benefits and many people are seeking treatment for opioid use, we hope that today's decision will restore some balance to Pennsylvania's safety net."