{"id":295588,"date":"2023-08-01T08:40:50","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T13:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=295588"},"modified":"2023-08-04T22:08:35","modified_gmt":"2023-08-05T03:08:35","slug":"nifla-sues-illinois-vermont-laws-pregnancy-centers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/nifla-sues-illinois-vermont-laws-pregnancy-centers\/","title":{"rendered":"Illinois and Vermont slapped with lawsuits for targeting pregnancy centers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UPDATE, 8\/3\/23:<\/strong> Illinois’ law attacking pregnancy centers has been put on hold by a federal judge, according to the Thomas More Society<\/a>. Peter Breen, the group’s Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation, stated, “Across the nation, pregnancy help ministries are being discriminated against by laws that target their life-affirming work. The injunction granted today sends a strong, clear message to the country that the First Amendment protects pro-life speech.\u201d<\/p>\n

8\/1\/23:<\/strong> The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) filed two lawsuits last week arguing that recently passed bills in Illinois and Vermont violate pregnancy centers\u2019 right to free speech.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both states had passed legislation disparaging pregnancy centers and accusing them of deceiving women. Each law claims the intent isn\u2019t to prohibit counseling someone not to choose abortion. But NIFLA\u2019s attorneys argue that the bills contain language that is vague, constitutes viewpoint discrimination, and compels certain speech.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vermont\u2019s law <\/span>plainly classifies<\/span><\/a> offering abortion pill reversal, which has <\/span>documented successes<\/span><\/a>, as \u201cunprofessional conduct\u201d that can result in \u201cdenial of a license or other disciplinary action.\u201d Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which is representing NIFLA in the Vermont suit, accused the state of impeding access to critical services.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWomen who become unexpectedly pregnant should be empowered with life-affirming options, emotional support, and practical resources,\u201d ADF Legal Counsel Julia Payne said in a <\/span>press release<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cVermont\u2019s law, however, does the opposite \u2014 it impedes women\u2019s ability to receive critical services during a difficult time in their lives and suppresses the free-speech rights of faith-based pregnancy centers. Pregnancy centers should be free to serve women and offer the support they need without fear of unjust government punishment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n