It was little surprise last week that a U.S. Senate vote on a bill to legalize abortion up until birth failed to be passed. It’s just as little surprise that past Republican efforts in Congress to criminalize all abortions have similarly failed.

Both pro-life and pro-choice advocates point to polling data as evidence they are right — but in reality the polling data tends to show a majority of Americans say neither side is right. A Pew Research Center poll released May 6 show relatively few Americans on either side of the debate take an absolutist view on the legality of abortion that either supports abortion at all times or opposes it at all times, regardless of circumstances. There is evidence many people are conflicted on the issue.

The Pew Center’s report noted more than half of Americans who generally support abortion rights – by saying it should be legal in “most” or “all” cases – also say the timing of an abortion (i.e., how far along the pregnancy is) should be a factor in determining its legality (56%).

So it would be nice if Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren, and Gov. Tom Wolf would keep that data in mind as they marshal their supporters in Harrisburg. Rapp recently said the state “is already well-positioned to successfully advance some of the strongest pro-life legislation in the history of the Commonwealth.” Wolf, on the other hand, said he has vetoed “three different anti-abortion bills passed by Pennsylvania’s General Assembly” and vowed to veto any others that come across his desk during his term.

Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land. If that changes, those on both sides of the issue should move beyond symbolic gestures aimed at the a total ban or complete legality of abortion. Rapp and Wolf are poised to be key players in this discussion. We encourage both to gather all the necessary information from all sides before making a knee-jerk reaction.