Baltimore Sun: City’s pregnancy center law gets new hearing
By Andrea Walker
“A federal appeals court has granted a new hearing in a case challenging whether Baltimore can require faith-based pregnancy counseling centers to post signs saying they don’t offer abortion or birth control advice and services. The decision filed Wednesday allows a rehearing before the full 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., voiding a decision made in June by a panel of three judges from the same court. The panel had voted 2-1 to uphold a lower court’s opinion that the ordinance to require signs was unconstitutional, violating the free-speech rights of the pregnancy centers. The 4th Circuit gave no reason for granting the rehearing, scheduled for Dec. 6. ‘We’re thrilled with the court’s decision,’ said Stephanie Toti, senior staff attorney for the Center for Reprodutcive Rights. ‘We think this is an important case for protecting the rights of women on truthful informtion about reproductive health services’.”
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