Care Net: Abortion Advocates Want Washington State to Spend Taxpayer Dollars Defending Unconstitutional Bill, Despite Billion Dollar Budget Shortfall
"Washington taxpayers will have to foot the bill and women will ultimately pay the price," says Care Net President Melinda Delahoyde
LANSDOWNE, Va., Feb. 2, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Washington State Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee held a hearing Wednesday on an anti-pregnancy center bill (SB 5274) that is similar, but even more onerous, than a Baltimore City bill that was declared unconstitutional on Jan.28 in the U.S. District Court of Maryland. If passed, the Washington bill would shut down pregnancy centers by opening them up to costly lawsuits from any aggrieved person. Pregnancy centers in Washington State provide an estimated $18.6 million dollars worth of free services to women facing unplanned pregnancies and their families. The legislation is being championed by Planned Parenthood Votes Washington and other organizations advocating for abortion providers.
During Wednesday's hearing, Sen. Cheryl Pflug asked the prime sponsor of the bill, Sen. Kevin Ranker, where the state, in light of its $4.6 billion dollar budget shortfall, would get the money to defend the law, which would be challenged. Sen. Ranker said the Attorney General's office would pay for it; however, according to Sen. Pflug, Attorney General Bob McKenna has already indicated that the Washington state anti-pregnancy center bill appears to be even more of an infringement on the freedom of speech than the City of Baltimore's was.In the meantime, Washington State Gov. Chris Gregoire has proposed a grim
Image by WSDOT via Flickr
budget that would slash healthcare and education programs and state employees' salaries, and she has
called on non-profits and faith-based organizations, like pregnancy centers, to step up to the plate.
Care Net President Melinda Delahoyde asked how abortion advocates could force Washington taxpayers to fund the defense of a likely unconstitutional attack on non-profit organizations in the midst of an economic crisis. "While Washington taxpayers foot the bill, it's women who will ultimately pay the price," Delahoyde said. "It's women, children, and families of Washington
who benefit from the free services pregnancy centers offer. Targeting these centers flies in the face of common sense."
Pregnancy centers provide practical help and emotional support to empower those facing unplanned pregnancies to make an informed and life-affirming pregnancy decision. Care Net is a national organization supporting the work of 1,130 pregnancy center in North America.
