Conservative states in our region are increasingly protecting crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). These centers often provide free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and other resources for soon-to-be mothers, but they typically don鈥檛 offer abortions 鈥� and sometimes they
and already support some of them. Idaho lets drivers buy , which fund the centers, and now lawmakers in Wyoming and Montana are considering protecting what supporters see as life-affirming care.
Denise Burke, with national Christian law group Alliance Defending Freedom, the new legislation in Wyoming , which protects the centers from government regulation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not, as some are trying to couch it, a blanket immunity for pregnancy centers,鈥� Burke said during on Jan. 29. 鈥淚t simply prevents them from being discriminated against because of their pro-life ethic.鈥�
The Wyoming legislation makes it so state and local governments can鈥檛 require CPCs to provide abortions. Burke added that this is especially needed right now as CPCs see growing threats in the post-Roe v. Wade era.
Democratic states like are regulating CPCs, specifically preventing them from advertising that they provide abortions, when they do not, or offering 鈥渁bortion pill reversals.鈥�
Some they can offer effective treatments to disrupt the abortion process, but calls it 鈥渁 dangerous and deceptive practice that is not supported by science or clinical standards.鈥�
Some Wyoming residents, like Britt Boril, spoke out at the recent Wyoming meeting in opposition to CPCs.
鈥淭hese centers push a religious agenda under the guise of providing health care,鈥� Boril told lawmakers. 鈥淚n my view, these centers are dangerous and should absolutely be held accountable for the misinformation they spread.鈥�
According to from researchers at the University of Georgia, there鈥檚 almost 200 in our region 鈥� 11 of which are in Wyoming.
Rep. Rachel Rodriguez Williams (R-Cody), who鈥檚 sponsoring this bill and , used to lead that has locations in Cody and Powell, according to her .
The bill protecting CPCs in Wyoming passed in the state House 46-14 and is now headed to the Senate.
A is also being considered by the Montana Legislature.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, 糖心vlog传媒 in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the .