OLYMPIA, Washington, March 8, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Washington state bill aimed at forcing pro-life pregnancy centers to prominently disclose whether or not they perform abortions has failed in the House of Representatives.
Lawmakers on Monday failed to take up the bill, HB 1366, which had been introduced in January and was similar to controversial ordinances in New York City and Baltimore, Maryland. The first was approved by the New York City Council last Wednesday; the latter, approved in November 2009, was struck down as an unconstitutional restriction of free speech rights by a federal judge in January.
Although the bill is not technically defunct, The Olympian reports that most bills would have had to have been approved by the 5 pm. Monday deadline in order to move forward this year.
Care Net, a national network of 1,130 pregnancy centers, celebrated the defeat of the bill, which the group said threatened to shut down 56 pregnancy centers in that state. Care Net President Melinda Delahoyde praised state lawmakers for “recognizing the truth about HB 1366 – that it was a biased attack by one industry on its competition.”
“Women in Washington deserve to make their own choice of where they go for help with an unexpected pregnancy. This bill would have eliminated that choice and pointed them solely to abortion providers,” said Delahoyde.
Delahoyde noted that, especially since the bill was only one facet of a nationwide push by the abortion lobby to hamstring the work of pro-life pregnancy centers, “the battle is not over.”
“Groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood are continuing to seek states and localities that will pass bills attacking pregnancy centers,” she said, encouraging women who have been helped by pregnancy centers to “share your story with others and help Care Net continue to counter the misinformation that is being spread.”