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The Dog Days Of Summer
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Baltimore City Hall Pregnancy Center Bill Passes
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CBS
While the mayor was in court Monday, City Council was back at City Hall making history. The council made a landmark decision concerning pregnancy centers, a decision that could impact cities across the country.
Andrea Fujii explains why some call this new law harassment.
Just three councilmembers voted "no" to the limited pregnancy center bill. It requires all pregnancy centers that do not offer abortion information to post signs in English and Spanish to that effect.
If the mayor signs the legislation, they'd be required to put up a sign in the waiting room making it clear they don't offer the service.
For weeks, the centers and the Catholic Church have called the bill harassment.
"It's aimed at one particular group of people, that is mostly volunteer, non-profit groups --most of them are not Catholic-- who are seeking to help women bring their babies to term. That should not be a crime. That should not be suspect," said Archbishop Edwin O'Brien.
"We make it very clear up front that we don't perform them, nor do we refer for them. And we also won't tell them where to go to get one," said Carol Clews, Center for Pregnancy Concerns.
Supporters of this legislation say it's about truth in advertising for women in Baltimore. But those with pro-life groups say this is specifically to give a bad name to centers that don't support abortion.
"The intent of that is to put pregnancy centers out of business," said Jeff Meister, Maryland Right to Life. "I hate to use the words `out of business,' because they're charities; they're not a business."
Planned Parenthood has advocated the bill, citing nationwide research of women getting censored information at these centers.
"What we do know is researchers who have gone in and acted as though they are pregnant have been told misinformation," said Keiren Havens, Planned Parenthood of Maryland.
"It's a simple sign that you can make on your computer and printer in five minutes. It doesn't say anything other than what is true about the centers," said City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
The mayor is expected to sign this bill. It will go into effect 30 days after she signs it. Violators will be fined $150.
Both sides of the debate are turning their attention to Montgomery County, where a similar law is being discussed.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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