January 26, 2010 - Tuesday
Greetings from FRC!
We wanted to share with you, our supporters, the following alert from your state Family Policy Council. If you have already received this message from them, please simply disregard this. We did, however, want to help make certain that you, your friends, and your neighbors would be aware of this very critical legislative information. We encourage you to join your Family Policy Council in making your voice heard today!
Be sure to attend the Washington State Senate's Health and Long Term Care Committee Hearing on SB 6452 this Wednesday, January 27 at 8:00 A.M. in Olympia, Room 4 on the 1st floor of the Senate/John A. Cherberg Building! This proposed bill would eliminate first amendment rights within crisis pregnancy centers and give the state the authority to fine those who work and volunteer in them.
SB 6452 claims to be about protecting women's health. It requires:
- During the first communication with a person seeking services, it must be clearly disclosed verbally that the center does not provide medical care for pregnant women, or abortion and comprehensive birth control services or referrals.
- This same disclosure must be in writing, in both English and Spanish, on the clinic's website home page, on clinic advertisements, on the clinic entrance door, and inside the clinic building where the clinic conducts intakes.
- This bill requires that these centers only provide "medically and scientifically accurate" reproductive information -- which excludes abstinence-only counseling.
- This bill puts privately operated, religious-based centers under the state Consumer Protection Act - making the clinics subject to a fine of up to $25,000.
- Pregnancy centers offering abortion services or referrals are exempt. In reality, these provisions could give state authorities a reason to harass crisis pregnancy centers and discourage them from operating. The bill is being promoted by abortion advocacy groups.
To contact your elected officials about this bill, please call the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000.
For more information on this bill and others that are being considered in Olympia, go to www.fpiw.org or call the Family Policy Institute of Washington at 425-608-0242.
Thank you for joining this collaborative effort to protect and defend Faith, Family, and Freedom in your state!
