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Lawsuit Challenges Restrictions
against Pro-Life Pregnancy
Centers
Part Three of Three By Liz Townsend A pro-life crisis pregnancy center (CPC) in Maryland filed a lawsuit May 19 challenging a new Montgomery County regulation that requires centers to post signs urging women to seek medical advice elsewhere. The lawsuit filed by Centro Tepeyac Women's Center in Silver Spring is the second in Maryland to challenge regulations restricting the actions of pro-life centers. The Archdiocese of Baltimore is also pursuing a lawsuit against similar restrictions in the City of Baltimore. "The government cannot create special speech rules just because people want to talk about pregnancy choices," Mark Rienzi, lead counsel for Centro Tepeyac, told the Washington Times. "And it certainly cannot target pro-life speakers for special sign requirements and fines while leaving speech by abortion clinics entirely unregulated. This new regulation violates every core principle of free speech law." The Montgomery County Council passed the new regulations February 2. They require CPCs to post signs in English and Spanish that "must say that a licensed medical professional is not on staff there and that the county health department advises seeking a licensed health care provider. Failure to post a sign results in a fine of at least $500," according to the Times. Pro-lifers charge that such regulations are intended to discourage women from taking advantage of the life-affirming services provided by CPCs. Their assertions were supported by a December 2 article on feminist web site womensenews.org that detailed NARAL's strategy to spread the "Baltimore model" across the country--accusing pro-life centers of "misleading women" and then finding legislators in local jurisdictions who will pass restrictions. According to the womensenews.org report, NARAL's Maryland campaign began with the release of a report in January 2008 that detailed its investigation of CPCs. "The report concluded that women who visited these centers were 'given wildly inaccurate' information about health risks associated with abortion 'and informed only about the joys of parenting and adoption,'" womensenews.org reported. "For example, at one center, a staff member gave an investigator, posing as a client, a pair of hand-knitted baby booties." Please send your comments to daveandrusko@gmail.com. |