Events are moving swiftly in the legislative attacks against pregnancy help centers.

A mighty victory was achieved last Friday in Baltimore. But tomorrow, another battle commences in Washington State.

Late last Friday, Judge Garbis of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled in Archbishop of Baltimore et al. v. City of Baltimore et al., that "The Government cannot, consistent with the First Amendment, require a 'pro-life' pregnancy-related service center to post a sign as would be required by the Ordinance."

Peggy Hartshorn responded, "This ruling is a resounding victory not only for the dedicated and loving people who serve at Heartbeat affiliates there, but also for the entire pregnancy help center movement."

Judge Garbis declared the ordinance "viewpoint-based discrimination," and as such, unconstitutional. The clarity of his decision sends a clear signal, and hopefully a precedent, for the ongoing battles against pregnancy help centers in Austin, Texas, Montgomery County, Maryland, New York City, and Washington State. Attempts to hinder the work of pregnancy help centers, by forcing them to advertise services they do not provide, namely abortions or abortion referrals, is unconstitutional.

Now the battle moves to Washington State

Please join us in praying for our pregnancy help centers in Washington State who must fight this same battle TOMORROW.

On Wednesday, February 2, at 8 AM (11, AM EST) there is another hearing on SB 5274.

SB 5274 imitates the national effort by Planned Parenthood and NARAL to limit the effective outreach of pregnancy help centers to women at risk for abortion and to drive them out of business by imposing onerous requirements on these centers that are not equally mandated for the abortion businesses. The bill would also enable private lawsuits against the centers and severely restrict the centers' ability to fight such legal action

Heartbeat's counsel, Ellen Foell, is meeting regularly with both local pregnancy help center leaders and other national organizations on defense strategy. Showing legislators the public's overwhelming support of pregnancy centers is one way to defeat these attacks. Tom Glessner, President of NIFLA recently reported how he brought about 500 buttons to the last hearing - buttons that said, "I love Pregnancy Resource Centers." That they were all handed out testifies to the many people who are ready to stand up and collectively defend the great work of the pregnancy help movement.

Kim Triller, Executive Director of Care Net Pregnancy and Family Services in Puget Sound, a Heartbeat affiliate, says, "This is a spiritual battel with ebbs and flows. Tomorrow we call upon legislators and we ask everyone to pray for us!"

Let's pray for another enormous show of local support tomorrow and pray that the recent decision in Baltimore sends a clear message that the charitable, neighbors-helping-neighbors, work we do is protected speech and that it is time to end these malicious attacks.