“NIFLA v. Becerra is not just about whether or not to hand out abortion information on a piece of paper or post it on the walls of pro-life centers. It is about the right belonging to all American citizens to be free from government-compelled speech, and from being coerced into promoting a message that contradicts their values,” said NIFLA Vice President Anne O’Connor, J.D. who acted as co-counsel in the lawsuit on behalf of NIFLA and its pregnancy centers.
“The right of free speech protected in the First Amendment not only includes the right to speak, but also the right to not be compelled by government to speak a message with which one disagrees and which violates one’s conscience,” added NIFLA president Thomas Glessner, J.D. “We are pleased with this permanent injunction and what it means for the many pregnancy centers that serve and empower women in California and throughout the country.”
About NIFLA
The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, known as NIFLA, is a national nonprofit organization providing legal counsel, education, and training for pro-life pregnancy centers and medical clinics. Representing a network of nearly 1,500 pregnancy centers across the United States, NIFLA has recently challenged laws in California, Hawaii and Illinois that target its members.
NIFLA Vice President Anne O’Connor, J.D., acted as co-counsel on NIFLA v. Becerra before the Supreme Court in March. The NIFLA v. Becerra ruling in favor of pro-life pregnancy centers and free speech was released on June 26 of this year.