CBNNews.com - Law Compromises Purpose of Pregnancy Centers

CBNNews.com

Opponents of a New York City law that requires crisis pregnancy centers to post and distribute abortion information despite the contradictory message are hoping to temporarily overturn the measure while it's debated in court.

The American Center for Law and Justice urged the U.S. District Court to block the ordinance.

The conservative legal group filed a lawsuit on behalf of 13 crisis pregnancy centers last month. If Tuesday's motion is accepted, the law will be blocked until a final court decision is made.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed the pregnancy center bill into law March 16 after it was passed by the New York City Council.

"The problem with the city's new ordinance is that it literally destroys the chosen messages of these crisis pregnancy centers by forcing them to adopt and express the views and opinions about abortion and contraception preferred by the New York City Council," said CeCe Heil, Senior Counsel of the ACLJ.

The law requires crisis pregnancy centers to disclose whether they provide abortions, emergency contraception and prenatal care. This includes posting signs in the lobbies of their counseling centers as well as putting the information on advertisements and giving the information verbally to women who call or visit.

"The Supreme Court has said, on numerous occasions, that the right to freedom of speech includes both the right of a speaker to choose his own preferred message, and the right not to speak a message with which the speaker disagrees," Heil added. . . .

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