Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 1, 2023 / 10:20 am
Two pro-life pregnancy centers and an institution that supports those centers are suing Vermont state officials over a new law that could land them thousands of dollars in fines if the attorney general’s office considers their advertisements to be misleading.
The lawsuit, filed July 25, alleges that the law violates First Amendment free speech protections and the right to due process enshrined in the 14th Amendment.
Alliance Defending Freedom is providing pro-bono legal assistance to the two pregnancy centers, Aspire Now and Branches Pregnancy Resource Center, and the religious nonprofit National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, who are all named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed legislation on May 10 that allows the attorney general’s office to bring civil action against pro-life pregnancy centers for advertisements that are either “untrue” or “clearly designed to mislead the public about the nature of services provided.” The law only applies to pro-life pregnancy centers and does not apply to abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood.