The Ct. Catholic Public Affairs

ACTION ALERT:

This coming Monday, November 20th, the Hartford City Council will hold a public hearing on an ordinance to limit the free speech rights of pro-life pregnancy resource centers (PRCs). The ordinance has been drafted with the assistance of pro-abortion organizations, such as NARAL and Planned Parenthood. This effort is part of a national campaign to harass and eventually shutdown these centers. This ordinance would require the posting of signage outside the centers with the underlying goal of discouraging pregnant women from seeking their assistance. The ordinance lists numerous statements about pregnancy resource centers that are completely false as justification for the law. If this becomes an ordinance in Hartford, it may soon lead to enactment of a State law by the General Assembly effecting the entire state. The Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference strongly opposes this proposed ordinance and urges you to do the following:

1) Attend the City Council meeting to show your support for pregnancy resource centers - The City Council meeting will be held at Hartford City Hall (550 Main Street) on Monday, Nov. 20th. Please be there by 5:30 pm and wear yellow, if possible, to show your support for the pregnancy care centers. There is a public comment period from 6 pm to 7 pm where individuals will be speaking in support or opposition of the proposed ordinance.The formal public hearing begins at 7 pm, but only those directly affected by the ordinance are allowed to speak, and they have to call the City Council ahead of time and get the Council's permission. We need as big a turnout as possible. Let the Hartford City Council know that there are more people who support the pregnancy care centers than there are people who want to attack them.

2) Contact the members of the City Council by clicking on the link below to send them an email. A pre-written email, which may be edited, is provided.
Some Background:
NARAL has launched a national campaign to discredit and eventually shutdown organizations that assist thousands of pregnant women a year in our state, and across the nation, who choose to keep their unborn children and reject the alternative of abortion.

• Connecticut PRCs provide women in our state facing an unplanned pregnancy a true "choice". The women are treated with compassion and concern from the moment of first contact with a PRC. The women learns that, if they decide to keep their baby, that the PRCs are there to help them with emotional and material support. She would not be alone. If she leaves the PRC and decides to abort the child that also is her choice.
• NARAL uses unsubstantiated facts and hearsay to make PRCs appear deceitful and manipulative toward vulnerable women seeking guidance and assistance. The exact opposite is true. The proposed ordinance references many of these false statements originally mentioned in the NARAL June, 2015 report entitled "The Right to Lie".
• NARAL has a difficult time citing any actual complaints by clients. This is because PRCs in Connecticut treat their clients with compassion, kindness and openness.
• The only ones complaining about PRCs are those who oppose their position on abortion, such as NARAL and Planned Parenthood, not the clients served.
• Following NARAL's lead the ordinance makes reference to misleading advertising used to lure vulnerable women into their centers. This statement is completely false.

Please help us to defeat this effort to attack pregnancy care centers by attending the hearing on Monday. November 20th and sending an email to the members of the City Council.