Pregnancy centers sue Massachusetts for taxpayer-funded ‘campaign of intimidation’

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 29, 2024 / 14:41 pm (CNA).

Here’s a roundup of the latest developments in the U.S. regarding abortion and pro-life issues:

Lawsuit against Massachusetts ‘campaign of intimidation’

A group of pro-life pregnancy centers in Massachusetts is suing the governor and other state officials for a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign against them, which they argue constitutes “impermissible viewpoint discrimination” based on their religious and political speech.

The lawsuit was filed on Aug. 19 by Your Options Medical Centers (YOM), a Christian-based network of pregnancy resource centers.

Under Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, Massachusetts launched a first-in-the-nation $1 million advertising campaign against pregnancy centers in June.

One example of the language used by the ads targeting Massachusetts residents on social media, billboards, and public transit, reads: “Avoid anti-abortion centers. They try to limit your options if you’re pregnant.”

YOM argues that the state’s campaign to paint pregnancy centers as fraudulent and deceptive discriminates against their pro-life, Christian views. 

The centers say this deprives them of the right to free speech and free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment.

“This case is necessitated by an overt viewpoint-based campaign of harassment, suppression, and threats against YOM and other [pregnancy resource centers],” the suit reads. 

“Government officials can express their views,” but they cannot “use the power of the state to punish or suppress disfavored expression,” the suit asserts.

The suit also accuses the state of conspiring with a pro-abortion activist group called Reproductive Equity Now to target pregnancy centers in the state for investigation and prosecution.

“This campaign involves selective law enforcement prosecution, public threats, and even a state-sponsored advertising campaign with a singular goal — to deprive YOM, and groups like it, of their First Amendment rights to voice freely their religious and political viewpoints regarding the sanctity of human life in the context of the highly controversial issue of abortion,” YOM argues.

According to the suit, the state’s “campaign of intimidation has directly contributed” to one doctor quitting. 

The suit also says that YOM has “been forced [to] operate in a culture of fear and harassment from the state and continues to face unprecedented investigations, including unnecessary subpoenas, despite a prior state investigation clearing YOM of any wrongdoing.”

Missouri abortion amendment appears likely to win, new poll suggests

A Missouri amendment that would radically alter the abortion landscape in the state seems likely to succeed this November based on a new poll taken by YouGov and the St. Louis University Research Institute.

Titled the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative, the amendment would change the Missouri Constitution by enshrining a “fundamental right” to abortion. 

If passed the amendment would prohibit abortion restrictions before viability and after if determined to be beneficial to life or the physical or mental health of the mother.

The poll found that 52% of respondents indicated they would vote for the abortion amendment. Only 34% said they would vote against the measure. Meanwhile, 14% said they were “not sure.”

While Democrats were largely united in support of the measure — 80% in favor versus 11% against — Republicans were split. A slight majority — 51% — said they opposed the measure, while 32% registered support and 18% said they were unsure.

Released this month, the poll was based on a survey of 1,154 registered Missouri voters representing the state’s voting demographics.

Currently, Missouri protects unborn life from conception, only allowing abortions in instances in which the mother’s life is in danger.

Fox polls suggest half of Arizona and Nevada Republicans support abortion amendment

Two new polls released this week by Fox suggest that half of Republicans in Arizona and Nevada support broad abortion amendments set to appear on the ballot this November.

According to the Arizona poll, 50% of Arizona Republicans support the amendment that if passed would allow abortion until viability and beyond if determined necessary for the health of the mother. Meanwhile, 95% of Arizona Democrats and 76% of independents support the amendment.

Abortion is currently legal in Arizona through 15 weeks of pregnancy.

In Nevada, 54% of Republicans, 95% of Democrats, and 76% of independents support the proposed abortion amendment, according to the Fox poll.

If passed, the amendment would codify already-existing state laws into the state constitution that allow for abortion up to roughly 24 weeks into pregnancy. The amendment would also allow abortion through all nine months of pregnancy if deemed necessary to protect the mother’s health.

Lila Rose suggests Trump may be losing pro-life support

Prominent pro-life activist and Catholic Lila Rose suggested this week that Trump may be losing the support of pro-lifers through his campaign’s recent statements regarding abortion.

Rose said on social media that “if you don’t stand for pro-life principles, you don’t get pro-life votes.” 

She also said that “without some indication that they will work to make our nation a safer place for preborn children, they [the Trump campaign] are making it impossible for pro-life voters to support them.”

Trump has said that he considers abortion to be exclusively a state issue following the repeal of Roe v. Wade in 2022. He has also said that he believes some pro-life laws and policies “go too far.”

On Saturday GOP vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance said that Trump would veto any national pro-life law that was sent to his desk. Vance has also said that he supports access to the abortion pill mifepristone, which currently accounts for 63% of all U.S. abortions.

In response, Rose has been very vocal in encouraging the Trump campaign to “earn the pro-life vote” by changing its messaging to support unborn life.

In an interview with Politico, Rose said: “People will need to vote their conscience in November. We’re over two months out, so there’s a lot of things that can change. I think that it’s the job of the pro-life movement to demand protection for preborn lives. It is not the job of the pro-life movement to vote for President Trump.”

“Nobody owns the pro-life vote; the pro-life vote is earned. And you don’t earn the pro-life vote by throwing it under the bus … and throwing the babies under the bus,” Rose said in a Tuesday episode of her podcast. 

“You earn the pro-life vote, and I would say the respect even of the middle moderates and I would even argue the respect of your average Joe by getting up there and saying: ‘I’m going to fight for what I believe in, for what is good and true, I’m going to fight for the lives of children.’”

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/258993/pregnancy-centers-sue-massachusetts-for-taxpayer-funded-campaign-of-intimidation