Illinois pregnancy centers contemplate emergency injunction against law requiring abortion referrals

Attorneys representing the pregnancy centers that sued Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner over a law that requires them to refer pregnant women for abortions have said that they are willing to consider filing an emergency injunction to allow the facilities to continue providing their services.

Senate Bill 1564, which requires doctors, pharmacies and pregnancy centers to counsel on "benefits" of abortion, or refer women to abortionists, was passed last July and went into effect on Jan. 1.

In February, over a dozen women's health organizations filed a lawsuit against Rauner, arguing that the law is in violation of their religious or moral convictions.

Some pregnancy centers have been forced to discontinued their medical services and another center with more than one location has stopped accepting new clients to avoid violating its pro-life mission or risk being shut down.

While two pregnancy centers, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and an ADF-allied Chicago attorney, were granted a temporary injunction in December, other centers in the state remain vulnerable, according to Tom Ciesielka of the Thomas More Society.

Ciesielka told Life Site News that the law left the state's more than 90 not-for-profit pregnancy resource centers with little choice but to sue because it "unconstitutionally abridges their free speech and interferes with their religious beliefs."

Thomas More Society initially filed a lawsuit on behalf of two pregnancy resource centers in early February. The group is now representing 18 women's health organization from across the state in the complaint. The lawsuit has since been amended because there were other centers that also needed protection from the law.

Ciesielka said that Thomas More attorneys would consider filing for an emergency injunction in the case of a lengthy wait for a court hearing.

"The new law requires these pro-life centers, and only them, to discuss 'benefits' of abortion with their clients and to name abortion providers upon request," said Thomas Olp, an attorney with the group.

"In my view, the law is nefarious and pernicious in its targeting of pro-life physicians and pregnancy resource centers," he added.

Laura Petigoue, who founded Hope Life Center in Sterling, Illinois, with her husband, said that the law was "monstrously prejudicial." She said that her organization has been serving the community for 30 years, and it is the only one that is dedicated to providing women with medical services and education to help them make informed decisions about unwanted pregnancies.

"Now we have had to suspend all our medical services because this new law mandates us to serve these women in a way that is harmful to them and to their unborn children," she said.