By Guy Page
A Senate bill shielding abortion and transgender medical service providers from any legal action also would restrict advertising by Vermont’s seven pro-life pregancy counseling centers.
S37 was reviewed by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee this week. It would:
- Require that a health insurance plan covers gender-affirming health care services and abortion-related services
- Protect a health care provider from professional disciplinary action for providing or assisting in legally protected health care services, and
- Establish a new unfair and deceptive act regarding pregnancy centers. Specifically the bills states:
“It is an unfair and deceptive act and practice in commerce and a violation of section 2453 of this title for any limited-services pregnancy center to disseminate or cause to be disseminated to the public any advertising about the services or proposed services performed at that center if the management of the center knows or, by the exercise of reasonable care, ought to know it is untrue or clearly designed to mislead the public about the nature of services provided. Advertising includes representations made directly to consumers; marketing practices; communication in any print medium, such as newspapers, magazines, mailers, or handouts; and any broadcast medium, such as television or radio, telephone marketing, or advertising over the Internet such as through websites and web ads.”
S37 also would give the Attorney General or State’s Attorney authority to make rules, conduct civil investigations, and bring civil actions with respect to violations.
Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers have long insisted that Vermont’s seven privately-funded, pro-life pregnancy centers use deceptive advertising because their ads and online media promise to offer abortion information, even though the centers do not perform abortions. In fact the pregnancy centers do provide abortion information, and explicitly state they do not perform abortions.
The four lead sponsors of S37 are: Sens. Virginia Lyons, Ruth Hardy, Alison Clarkson and Kesha Ram Hinsdale. Additional sponsors are Philip Baruth, Christopher Bray, Brian Campion, Thomas Chittenden, Ann Cummings, Martine Gulick, Wendy Harrison, Nader Hashim, M. Jane Kitchel, Richard McCormack, Andrew Perchlik, Richard Sears, Tanya Vyhovsky, Anne Watson, Rebecca White and Irene Wrenner. No Republicans sponsored S37.
Abortion advocates have repeatedly said that Vermonters’ overwhelming (72% yes – 22% no) support for Article 22, the ‘reproductive liberty’ amendment approved in November, provides a strong mandate for aggressive legislation. Article 22 critics say it was misrepresented by supporters and under-covered by most news media.
Contact information for all lawmakers is available in Vermont Daily Chronicle’s “Toolbox to Follow and Influence the Legislature.” on its Vermont Legislative Directory page.
A former Vermont lawmaker criticized media characterization of the attempt to silence the pro-life pregnancy centers. When VTDigger wrote that “Senators have begun discussing a wide-ranging bill that would safeguard Vermont doctors from professional repercussions for providing abortions within state lines — and crack down on non-medical, anti-abortion facilities that some deem deceptive,” Former Mendon Rep. Job Tate wrote this morning on Twitter:
“Digger says they are seeking to “crack down” on crisis pregnancy centers – like they’re selling knock-off Gucci bags out of the trunk of their car. The bigotry of low-expectations that people think a young woman could be “tricked” into bringing their baby to term.”
Pro-life pregnancy centers in Vermont include: Aspire Now in Williston, Care Net Pregnancy Center of Central Vermont in Barre, The Women’s Center in Middlebury, First Step Pregnancy Clinic in Rutland, True North Pregnancy Resource Center in Bennington, Branches Pregnancy Resource Center in Brattleboro and Birthright of Burlington.
Contribute to Vermont Daily Chronicle via Stripe.com – quick, easy, confidential