Pregnancy Center Ordinance Causes Heated Debate

Pregnancy resource centers caused a heated debate at Austin City Hall on Thursday afternoon as council members and pro-life advocates discussed a controversial ordinance.

In 2010, council members passed an ordinance that required centers which didn't provide medical care to post a sign in English and Spanish that said they did not perform abortions or provide birth control.

Four centers filed a law suit stating the signs violated religious and free speech rights.

On Thursday, council members did away with that 2010 ordinance, but then approved a new one that changes the wording on required signs to say whether the center has a licensed health care provider or if it is regulated by a state or federal entity.

Those who filed the first lawsuit say they will seek to repeal this one as well.

“We really have all the same problems with it, it still compelled speech, it's still discriminatory towards pregnancy resource centers, the whole view, so all our legal issues with it as far as constitutionality, it doesn't hold up, so all our issues remain the same,” said Marie Seale of Catholic Diocese of Austin.