SB 490 Could Shut A Lot of Crisis Pregnancy Centers Down- Help stop it!!

If SB 490 passes,

many Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Oregon

WILL SHUT DOWN.

The bill requires Crisis Pregnancy Centers

* to pay medical personnel who are now pro-bono.

Effect- Most centers cannot afford the cost. 1^st Way in Eugene has several nurses, ultrasound techs and an M.D. Medical director we would have to pay.

* to post in a prominent location and in all advertising that they do not provide abortion or referrals to abortion.

Effect: Abortion-minded women will go immediately to Planned Parenthood instead of coming to us first to hear about other options. We will lose significant clientele and more abortions will occur as a result.

*to be under the supervision of a government regulatory agency.

Effect: We will face greater and greater restrictions on providing care.

Oregon already has the most liberal laws of any state regarding abortion and this bill

IS NOT MEETING MUCH OPPOSITION AT ALL.

We cannot afford to be complacent.

Lives are at stake.

Call your senator:

Sen. Chris Edwards (D) District: 007 900 Court Street NE S-405 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: (503) 986-1707 Fax: (503) 986-1080 WebSite: http://www.leg.state.or.us/edwardsc/ E-Mail: Sen.ChrisEdwards@state.or.us	(Portions of Lane and Lynn)  Lee Beyer (D) PO Box 131 Springfield 97477 541-726-2533
	(Portions of Lane and  Douglas)  Floyd Prozanski (D) 541-342-2447 PO Box 11511 Eugene 97440

Help Us-Political Action Urgently Needed

Hello all First Way Supporters, 

Are you familiar with Senate Bill 490? 

 

If it passes, crisis pregnancy centers will have to publicly advertise and place notices in conspicuous places that we do not offer abortion or abortion referrals. This is even though we receive no government funding and do not deliberately deceive anyone. However, if we are required to provide that information, many women who might have considered alternatives to abortion will not have those alternatives presented to them.

Senate Bill 490...

• …  is an unconstitutional infringement upon free speech rights because it compels pregnancy centers to say words they would not otherwise say and regulates speech NOT conduct. 
• …  is overly broad and does not address any documented problem the state has a compelling interest in addressing.
• …  applies to all covered pregnancy centers regardless of any wrongdoing.
• …  violates due process principles because it does not adequately define the entities who are affected and it invites arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.
• …  targets small community-based nonprofit organizations that do not receive any state or federal funds.
• …  is part of a national campaign that is based upon differences in ideology and uses unsubstantiated accusations.
• …  forces a business to list services they do not offer for the first time in Oregon history.
• …  requires “conspicuously placed” written notices that “a reasonable person is likely to read and understand”.  These terms are unconstitutionally vague.
• …  requires that a notice be placed on any website maintained by the entity providing the services for any purpose if the services are even incidentally mentioned.
• …  requires that medical professionals to be paid for their services and denies them the right to voluntarily provide services in their community.
• …  increases state costs for OHA rule promulgation, compliance investigation, and enforcement with no demonstration that it addresses any harm to Oregon citizens.

(information taken from  http://www.oregonpregnancycenters.org/oregonpregnancycenters.org/Home.html)

This information below comes from Debbie, Executive Director, Pregnancy Alternatives Center-

Here's what you can do:

SB490 has been scheduled for hearing Monday!

Yes this Monday @ 3pm.

Statewide conference call TOMORROW @9am

Call (605) 475-4700  Enter code: 847627#

Please DO THE FOLLOWING:

·       Get every person you can to be at the capital Monday @2:00 to be present at the 3:00 hearing. We need a mass showing. If you have to close, then do it. This showing if VERY IMPORTANT. We all understand it is not convenient. Oh well, convenience is not the issue. PLEASE hear us… YOU NEED TO BE THERE!
·       IMMEDIATELY, I MEAN IMMEDIATELY you need to contact all of your constituents and have them call their Senators and Representatives. We need a massive call campaign. Basically you need to say… Please do not support SB490. Every woman deserves the right to alternative services. Also call Senate President Peter Courtney. All the numbers are at www.oregonpregnancycenters.org.
·       Most importantly this is the time to get the prayer warriors activated.

Please be on the call tomorrow at 9:00 am.

Debbie