Connecticut is the Northeast’s Liberal California (right after New York, of course). Their taxes are driving wealthy people away. Their gun-grabbing is driving manufacturers away. And now they are trying to drive out pregnancy care centers.
House Bill 7070 sponsored by NARAL (well, it’s funded operatives in the government) would create unique enforcement language targeting pregnancy health care centers (pregnancy resource centers). Not abortion mills posing as women’s health care centers. Places where women with crisis pregnancies can go for support, education, and encouragement instead of abortion.
Perception and Deception
To move this legislation into law (not that a State House full of Leftists needs the help) NARAL has used misinformation to create the appearance of deception. In response, the Connecticut Pregnancy Care Coalition reports that,
NARAL CT uses unsubstantiated facts and hearsay to make PRCs appear deceitful and
manipulative toward vulnerable women seeking guidance and assistance. The opposite is
true.
- NARAL CT fails to cite any actual, verifiable, complaints by clients. The reason for this is very likely due to the fact that PRCs in Connecticut treat their clients with compassion, kindness and openness.
- Many clients maintain long relationships with the PRC that assisted them. This would not occur if the environment was as manipulative and deceitful as described by NARAL CT.
- Exit Surveys completed by clients show a 98% client satisfaction rate.
- The number one way clients find PRCs is through referrals. These referrals are usually through friends or family members who have had a positive experience with a PRC or have heard positive comments about a PRC.
- It appears that those complaining about PRCs are primarily perturbed by the position PRCs hold on abortion.
Despite the absence of evidence, the legislation would give the State AG to apply to the court for injunctive relief that includes forcing a change of language to existing advertising, remedial notices, fines, and the cost of the state’s court and legal fees.
Lawfare and Fiscal Attrition
Given the budgets upon which most of these centers operate one claim of false advertising could shut them down.
Which given NARAL’s all-in approach appears to be the point.
NARAL pours millions into political campaigns, Federal and local activism. Planned Parenthood’s lobbying budget is more extensive than this coalition of centers probably manages to scratch together in any given year. Meaning that if an abortion clinic is targeted, it could more easily survive any cost of a legal challenge.
HB7070 sets up a lawfare environment in which abortion centers can survive and pregnancy care centers may not. All based on an assumption with no basis in fact. Legislation empowering the state to effectively compel speech in advertising.
What that might entail is unknown, but we’ve no reason to believe it would not include requiring them to identify services they do not provide which leads down the road to California which tried to force Pregnancy Care Centers to promote abortion or else.
The courts tossed California’s law. Connecticut taxpayers may find themselves fronting a similar defense in their near-future.
