A Pennsylvania appeals court ruled Monday that the state constitution guarantees a right to abortion and struck down a decades-old law that prohibited the use of state Medicaid funds to cover abortion procedures.

The Commonwealth Court's seven-judge panel delivered a divided decision in favor of abortion rights advocates who challenged the state's Medicaid funding restrictions. The ruling represents a significant legal victory for reproductive rights organizations in Pennsylvania.

Planned Parenthood and abortion clinic operators filed the original lawsuit against Pennsylvania in 2019, specifically targeting the state's longstanding prohibition on using Medicaid funds for abortion services. The case has been working its way through the court system for nearly five years.

The court's decision centers on the interpretation of Pennsylvania's state constitution and whether it provides broader protections for abortion access than federal law. The ruling comes as abortion rights remain a contested issue across various state jurisdictions following recent changes in federal abortion law.

The Commonwealth Court serves as Pennsylvania's appellate-level court for cases involving state government agencies and constitutional questions. Monday's ruling may face further legal challenges as the case could potentially advance to higher courts in the state's judicial system.