The legislation does not clearly define what the state considers untrue or misleading but has several subsections accusing pro-life pregnancy centers of engaging in such conduct. For example, the law alleges that some centers “provide confusing and misleading information to pregnant individuals contemplating abortion” and “have promoted patently false or biased medical claims about abortion, pregnancy, contraception, and reproductive health care providers.”
Julia Payne, legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, told CNA that the law “doesn’t define false and misleading” and that the centers do not know what the “pro-abortion attorney general considers misleading.” She said the law gives “government officials the chance to enforce a law arbitrarily [that] … targets pro-life pregnancy centers.”
If the attorney general’s office brings a civil claim against one of these pregnancy centers, that center could be subject to a $10,000 fine for each offense. This has caused some pregnancy centers, such as Branches Pregnancy Resource Center, to stop providing certain information out of fear that the law will be weaponized against them.
“If they were to hit us with these fines, we would be shut down,” Jean Marie Davis, the executive director of Branches Pregnancy Resource Center, told CNA.
Davis said the center tries to work with law enforcement to prevent human trafficking, offers parenting classes, refers patients to OB-GYNs, and provides information on the abortion reversal pill. It also provides diapers, formula, clothes, high chairs, and other necessities for free.
“If we’re able to provide it and give them the resources, we do that,” Davis said.