Sign ordinance targets pregnancy centers

Rockville, MD (LifeNews.com) -- Montgomery County officials in Maryland have given their final approval to a new county ordinance that targets pregnancy centers located in this suburban area of both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The new rules come after the city of Baltimore approved their own ordinance attacking such centers. Montgomery County Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg is behind the new legislation there, which received a 7-2 vote from the county.

They would be required to tell potential clients that they should go elsewhere for medical advice because Trachtenberg claims they are misleading women. The new law makes it so pregnancy centers must post a disclaimer if they don't have medical professionals on staff and would refer them to a center with licensed medical professionals.

"It's pretty much just a consumer protection measure more than anything else," Trachtenberg said, according to the Examiner newspaper earlier. "We're not saying they can't seek clients and they can't counsel them."

John Naughton, a local pro-life advocate, emailed LifeNews.com about the vote. He said the resolution would "dramatically impair the operations of the four county pregnancy centers which have offered free services to approximately 195,000 women for a combined total of 108 years without complaint."

During the hearing, he said the pregnancy centers "were publicly castigated as 'misleading and misinforming' the poor pregnant women who seek their help, for advising that abortion risks future fertility, breast cancer and psychological trauma, which it does."

"At a public hearing, the Council was advised the resolution violated the constitutional rights of pregnancy center personnel. It was gutted and approved 7-2 on February 2. Members Andrews and Knapp voted against it; Andrews commented that it was unnecessary," he said.

SOURCE: http://www.lifenews.com/state4787.html