LifeNews.com - NYC Law Attacking Pregnancy Centers Faces Court Hearing

by Steven Ertelt | New York, NY | LifeNews.com

New York City officials face a hearing in federal court tomorrow over a lawsuit filed on behalf of pregnancy centers attacked in a new ordinance the city council passed and Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed.

The city council approved the bill on a 39-9-1 vote on the ordinance that would place stringent limits on the advertising pregnancy centers use and require them to post signs designed to dissuade women from seeking their abortion alternatives services. . . .

. . . . officials with the American Center for Law and Justice also filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the ordinance. The ACLJ represents numerous crisis pregnancy centers and contends the law violates the U.S. Constitution as well as the New York State Constitution. . . .

. . . . CeCe Heil, ACLJ Senior Counsel, told LifeNews previously, “Since this ordinance was first proposed, we have put the city council and the mayor on notice that it was unconstitutional and that we were prepared to challenge it immediately if passed.  We’re now moving forward with that challenge.”

“This measure is troubling because it violates crisis pregnancy centers’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, specifically protected by the constitution.  We are committed to protecting the rights of our clients and are urging the federal court to halt implementation of this ordinance and declare it unconstitutional.  Similar ordinances have already been struck down in federal court and we have no doubt that this ordinance will be rejected as well,” the attorney added. . . .

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