National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) Sues California for its Anti-Pregnancy Center Law
Contact: Thomas Glessner or Anne O'Connor,
National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA),540-372-3930
FREDERICKSBURG, Va., Oct. 14, 2005 /Christian Newswire/ -- The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), a national legal network of 1,350 prolife pregnancy centers, filed a lawsuit on Monday in Federal District Court in Southern California seeking an injunction against the State of California over the passage of an anti-pregnancy center bill.
AB 775, "The Reproductive Fact Act," signed into law last Friday by Governor Jerry Brown, mandates that medical prolife pregnancy centers post a notice in their waiting room in 22 point type or provide written or digital information to their patients on how to obtain a state funded abortion. Non-medical pregnancy centers must also post in 48 point type a statement saying that they are not medical and that they have no physician on staff.
Violation of this law results in a fine of $500 for a first offense and then $1,000 for each subsequent offense. The law was heavily supported and promoted by Planned Parenthood and the abortion lobby and will go into effect on January 1, 2016.
NIFLA has 115 pregnancy center members in California -- 77 are licensed medical clinics. Virtually all of its membership are religious organizations and oppose, on religious principle, providing referrals for abortion. NIFLA is seeking an immediate preliminary injunction against enforcement of the law and eventually a permanent injunction.
NIFLA, the Plaintiff in the action, is represented by The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Anne O'Connor, NIFLA's Vice-President for Legal Affairs and a licensed California attorney, is serving on the legal team for the law suit.
Thomas Glessner, J.D., president of NIFLA, stated the following: "This Act is an outrageous unconstitutional violation of the rights of free speech and freedom of religion for our California members. The Act unconstitutionally forces prolife pregnancy centers, on pain of government penalty, to engage in government disclaimers that they would not otherwise provide, and to provide abortion referral information to their patients/clients. It further violates the federal Coats-Snowe Amendment, which prohibits requiring medical clinics to make referrals for abortion."
Anne O'Connor, vice-president of NIFLA, stated: "We cannot allow this intrusion into the religious freedom of our prolife members in California. If this Act is not successfully challenged then states, prompted by Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry, will pass similar legislation forcing pro-life pregnancy centers to become abortion referral agencies."
For further information call NIFLA at 540-372-3930.
National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA),540-372-3930
FREDERICKSBURG, Va., Oct. 14, 2005 /Christian Newswire/ -- The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), a national legal network of 1,350 prolife pregnancy centers, filed a lawsuit on Monday in Federal District Court in Southern California seeking an injunction against the State of California over the passage of an anti-pregnancy center bill.
AB 775, "The Reproductive Fact Act," signed into law last Friday by Governor Jerry Brown, mandates that medical prolife pregnancy centers post a notice in their waiting room in 22 point type or provide written or digital information to their patients on how to obtain a state funded abortion. Non-medical pregnancy centers must also post in 48 point type a statement saying that they are not medical and that they have no physician on staff.
Violation of this law results in a fine of $500 for a first offense and then $1,000 for each subsequent offense. The law was heavily supported and promoted by Planned Parenthood and the abortion lobby and will go into effect on January 1, 2016.
NIFLA has 115 pregnancy center members in California -- 77 are licensed medical clinics. Virtually all of its membership are religious organizations and oppose, on religious principle, providing referrals for abortion. NIFLA is seeking an immediate preliminary injunction against enforcement of the law and eventually a permanent injunction.
NIFLA, the Plaintiff in the action, is represented by The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Anne O'Connor, NIFLA's Vice-President for Legal Affairs and a licensed California attorney, is serving on the legal team for the law suit.
Thomas Glessner, J.D., president of NIFLA, stated the following: "This Act is an outrageous unconstitutional violation of the rights of free speech and freedom of religion for our California members. The Act unconstitutionally forces prolife pregnancy centers, on pain of government penalty, to engage in government disclaimers that they would not otherwise provide, and to provide abortion referral information to their patients/clients. It further violates the federal Coats-Snowe Amendment, which prohibits requiring medical clinics to make referrals for abortion."
Anne O'Connor, vice-president of NIFLA, stated: "We cannot allow this intrusion into the religious freedom of our prolife members in California. If this Act is not successfully challenged then states, prompted by Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry, will pass similar legislation forcing pro-life pregnancy centers to become abortion referral agencies."
For further information call NIFLA at 540-372-3930.
