Anti-abortion advocates lost a battle in federal district court when the judge turned down their request to block their compliance with California’s women’s health information law. The law requires licensed health centers to provide women with information about state programs in family planning, prenatal care and abortions. Unlicensed centers must make it known they are unlicensed. Anti-abortion groups tried to evade the law by citing their free speech and freedom of religion rights. (Courthouse News Service, February 12, 2016, by Bianca Bruno)
The advocates also lost two earlier requests for injunctions on the law that went into effect January 1. Federal judges in two different districts ruled against, one judge reacting to the anti-abortion center’s assertion that they will not comply with law writing that it was clear that “their speech will not in fact be chilled.” The judge also noted that the non-profit centers also provide goods and services commercial in nature and that commercial speech “is subject to a lower degree of scrutiny than individual speech.” (RH Reality Check, December 23, 2015, by Nicole Knight Shine)