Supreme Court rules law requiring pro-life centers to promote abortion is illegal

California can’t force pro-life crisis pregnancy centers to promote abortion as a health care option, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, saying the state’s attempt to do so violated the groups’ First Amendment speech rights.

The justices, in a 5-4 ruling, said a 2015 state law requiring the centers to post notices about obtaining an abortion, including state assistance in paying for the procedure, amounted to government-coerced speech.

“The people lose when the government is the one deciding which ideas should prevail,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority.

California argued that the law was needed to educate low-income women with state-funded services. Backers also said they feared women seeking abortions were being duped by the pro-life centers.

But the pro-life centers claimed discrimination because of their views. In posting the notices, they said, they were being forced to advocate for a procedure to which they vehemently object.

Justice Thomas agreed, saying the law specifically targeted clinics with pro-life beliefs instead of all clinics throughout the state. He said if the goal was merely information, then the state had other options.

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