The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday voted to overturn the Roe v. Wade, giving individual states the right to make their own laws regarding abortion.

Nationally, it means that more than a dozen states with ‘trigger laws’ will now make abortion illegal except in certain circumstances.

In Pennsylvania, abortion remains legal, but the decision is still recognized as a huge change in policy by people on both sides of the issue.

“I’m angry, disgusted. It feels as if my country has turned on me,” said Joan McKinsey, of Polk Township, who has marched in rallies for women’s rights.

“This is a huge step for the unborn,” said Caitlyn Lewullis, of Chestnuthill Township.

Pennsylvania’s current law allows abortions through 24 weeks of pregnancy, and in some cases after, if a woman’s health is in danger.

While the decision will not have immediate effect in Pennsylvania, many are concerned about the overall loss of abortion access.

McKinsey said the decision amounts to government overreach into the most intimate part of a woman’s life, and worries that other Supreme Court decisions could be in danger.

“This court could not be more out of step with what the majority of Americans believe,” she said. She predicts that women with money will still be able to travel to receive abortions, while poorer women who need them, but live far from providers, will not.

Victims of abuse would also suffer from a lack of access to safe abortions, according to Lauren Peterson, executive director of Women’s Resources of Monroe County. She called the decision disheartening for everyone in her organization.

“We’re angry, we’re enraged on behalf of all the people this is going to affect for years to come,” she said.

Peterson warns that women could get trapped in violent, possibly deadly relationships due to the fact that they cannot obtain an abortion, she said. Even with exemptions for rape and sexual assault, restrictions will be harmful, she said, because women have to disclose their abuse in order to qualify.

For others, the decision is a welcome step toward ending abortion. Lewullis’ mother Tammy was told to abort her, because of tests during pregnancy and a history of miscarriages. During the birth process, Caitlyn lost oxygen, which resulted in cerebral palsy. Caitlyn, 18, graduated this month from Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School.

Because of their own story of triumph, they both hope to someday see abortion abolished in the state.

“I don’t feel it should have been in the place or any court or any human to decide whether somebody or something dies,” Tammy Lewullis said.

Tammy supports making abortion illegal at the point which a fetus’ heartbeat can be detected – usually around 4 to 6 weeks. She said women should also be provided with more education about abortion versus carrying a child to term, and the opportunities for adoption.

“They need outreach, they need people who care about them,” she said.

The decision to allow states to decide on abortion also received praise from religious groups. Bishop Alfred Schlert of the Diocese of Allentown said the Supreme Court showed courage in reexamining the decision in Roe v. Wade.

“Now is a time of renewed prayer and engagement with the legislative process to continue the work reinforced by today’s decision,” he said.

Republican leaders in the Pennsylvania General Assembly have called for a new effort to change the law in Pennsylvania. Gov. Tom Wolf has pledged to veto any abortion restrictions.

Wolf has reached his term limit and leaves office at the end of the year. The two candidates for governor differ sharply on the issue.

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Adams, has called the Roe decision one of the darkest days in American history, and a science-denying genocide. He has called upon the General Assembly to vote on the heartbeat bill, which he authored.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the Democratic nominee, said that Friday was a devastating day in America. He pledged to keep abortion legal in Pennsylvania.

Both sides believe that the governor’s race will be a determining factor in how Pennsylvania’s laws change after Friday’s decision.

“We need to make sure our candidates we put in office are pro-choice, pro-women, not looking to take us back 50 years,” McKinsey said.

“I’m hoping we can rally together and reveal the truth about abortion, and its horrors, and hopefully one day abolish it in the state,” Caitlyn Lewullis said.