This is crazy.
In June, the U.S. Appeals Court in Richmond amazingly upheld a court ruling that prevented the city from enforcing a law that would require crisis pregnancy centers to openly disclose the types of services they offer.
Hooray for pro-lifers, right?
But hold on. Liberal justices never sleep if somewhere a pro-lifer is somewhere trying to convince a woman not to murder her unborn child. Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit suddenly announced it would reconsider the case in early December. So crisis pregnancy centers have at least a few more months of free speech until judges decide they don’t really need that anymore.
The Baltimore Sun reports that the 4th Circuit gave no reason for granting the rehearing.
City officials are all harumphing this decision thinking they’ve won already.
This does not bode well for crisis pregnancy centers or The Constitution of the United States.
August 17, 2012 at 11:09 am
If the government can force an individual or organization to engage in commerce, why would they not also have the power to force speech? Baltimore could learn from the feds: want to protect your rights and liberties? Ok, but there's a tax for that! Then it's all nice and legal.
August 17, 2012 at 2:12 pm
They're waiting to spring until after the election when we know whether or not we have a pro-life president.