California disclosure law for pregnancy centers faces skeptical questions in Supreme Court

The L.A. Times reports:

A California disclosure law that requires pregnancy centers — even those that are faith-based and pro-life — to inform clients about abortion as an option faced sharp, skeptical questions in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and the court's conservatives said the law appeared to violate the 1st Amendment.


It is "mandating speech," Kennedy said, and forcing the pro-life centers to "alter the content of their message."

A state attorney said the law sought to ensure that pregnant women would be informed of all their options, including state benefits that could help them with childbirth and prenatal care.

But the law was challenged on free-speech grounds by more than 110 of the state's crisis pregnancy centers that strongly objected to the required reference to abortion.

And during Tuesday's argument, most of the justices said the law went too far and put too many burdens on these nonprofit clinics.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. asked how clinics in Los Angeles County could be expected to provide the required state disclosures in all the languages that were spoken.

Mexifornia struggles in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.