Calif. anti–pregnancy-care bill violates free speech

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Litigation Counsel Elissa Graves regarding the California Senate’s passage Friday of AB 775, a bill similar to others around the country that have been struck down as unconstitutional because they force pro-life pregnancy centers to communicate messages with which they disagree:

“The California government should not force pro-life pregnancy care centers to promote abortion. These centers fundamentally exist to provide tangible help and real alternatives to abortion to pregnant women in need, yet the California Legislature passed legislation which would require pregnancy center employees, under threat of punitive fines, to promote and refer women for abortions. This legislation is just another example of the California government attempting to fund and promote Big Abortion by running roughshod over the freedom of speech and conscience guaranteed to Californians and all Americans. We hope the governor will veto this unconstitutional trampling of pro-life advocacy. ADF has defeated mandates like this in court before, and we expect this legislation will promptly land in court if it becomes law.”