By Dave Andrusko

Part Two is encouraging news from Nebraska about its "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act." Also be sure to check out the latest at our new blog, www.nationalrighttolifenews.org. Send your thoughts to daveandrusko@gmail.com.

Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien

The battle between the Archdiocese of Baltimore, on behalf of local pregnancy centers, and the city of Baltimore, at the behest of Planned Parenthood, escalated on Monday when the Archdiocese filed a suit in U. S. District Court, challenging a city law that requires pro-life pregnancy centers to post signs saying they do not provide abortions.

Planned Parenthood of Maryland brought the issue to the City Council. Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, then city council president, now the mayor, sponsored the measure. It was approved last November on a 12-3 vote and took effect in January.

"The ordinance requires that a 'limited-service pregnancy center' post an easily readable sign, written in English and Spanish, stating that the center does not provide or make referrals for abortion or birth-control services," the Baltimore Sun reported. "A center failing to comply within 10 days of being cited could be fined up to $150 a day."

At a Monday press conference Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien said the measure "is a clear violation of these centers constitutional rights to free speech, and their free exercise of religion." He told WJZ television "I have never heard of a private institution, groups being told that they must advertise what they don't do under financial penalty. I think it's discriminatory."

Further, he noted, the law "runs directly counter to Maryland's conscience clause, which protects the rights of Maryland's citizens to refuse to provide or refer for abortions." Indeed, that refusal "is based on their moral and religious beliefs that these centers do not provide or refer for abortions."

Archbishop O'Brien "was joined in the lawsuit by St. Brigid Parish and the Greater Baltimore Center for Pregnancy Concerns, which operates the pregnancy center at the parish," the Catholic News Service reported. "It also operates another pregnancy center in the city and a third at St. Rita Church in Dundalk. A total of 1,000 women annually seek assistance at the three sites."

Thomas J. Schetelich is chairman of the board for the Center for Pregnancy Concerns. He told the Sun that it doesn't make sense why Baltimore officials want to target the centers instead of assisting them as they provide women legitimate alternatives and assistance during an unplanned pregnancy.

"Frankly, we would expect our city government to be supporting our sacrificial efforts rather than trying to hinder," Schetelich said. "We're disappointed that our stand for life draws opposition."

Proponents insisted that the law was needed "to ensure women's access to health information they need to make right decisions for themselves," according to Christine Lyn Diller. But Carol A. Clews, executive director of Center for Pregnancy Concerns, who joined Schetelich and O'Brien at the news conference, insisted her group's motives were transparent.

"We have many of our clients fill out evaluations after they've been helped," the Sun reported. "We do not now or have we ever had complaints from clients about being misled in any way or problems with the services they've received."

"'We make our position abundantly clear. Pregnancy centers don't do abortions. They offer women assistance," she said.

"We are a pro-life, faith-based organization and I have to believe that we were targeted for that very reason," Clews said.

Part Two