Attacking a Woman's Right to Choose

A big bully is trying to intimidate groups that offer abortion alternatives to women, and they're trying to use State law to do it.   Check out House Bill 1366 and Senate Bill 5274.  

The proposed laws would chip away at a woman's true right to choose where she goes for information when she's pregnant.  

The targets: non-profit, non-government-funded pregnancy clinics. They already follow safe and honest practices, yet the proposed law would mire them in red tape to prove it.  The bills don't directly say, "We're trying to shut down you down."  But they are trying to damage the organizations' reputations by implying there is something wrong with them.  They are trying to make it very difficult to continue to operate. 

This is just bullying, plain and simple, backed by a big business with a lot to lose if women choose fewer abortions.  

You see, the sponsors of this bill work closely with Planned Parenthood, which has a stake in women choosing to have abortions.  Although Planned Parenthood has a large following of people who believe it does good work, it's a business first and foremost.

Abortion brings in a tidy sum of money -- up to $950 for early "easy" abortions, according to Planned Parenthood's website.  Even a pro-abortion blogger complained last November about Planned Parenthood's practice of moving into areas where there are established, small abortion clinics, and driving them out of business.  Click here and here to read more.

Our local Whatcom County Pregnancy Clinic is the type of place being bullied. Here are some quick facts:

• The Clinic openly advertises that it offers abortion alternatives.  
• Women can get free services (including pregnancy tests and ultrasounds), counseling, and support no matter which decision they make.  
• Women can make decisions with full information.  
• If they choose parenting or adoption, the Clinic offers ways to help.
• Women who have chosen abortion can also find compassionate counseling.

That sounds like true pro-choice, pro-woman behavior to me, and I support it.  

Contact your State Legislators to let them know that Planned Parenthood should stop bullying smaller organizations.  Let's stop these bills from going any further.

The House bill is the subject of a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. Monday, January 24, in Olympia.  This is your chance to speak up!  To learn more about what this means, click here.  Please contact your Legislators before Monday, especially if they serve on the committee that holds the hearing.