Injunction Granted Regarding NYC Consumer Protection Law

Several months ago NYC's city council passed a law (39 - 3) that said "crisis pregnancy centers" must be upfront about the services they do or do not provide--such as abortion, prenatal care, what sort of referals they give, & emergency contraception--and must post this information in English and Spanish in "clinics" and in their advertisements. Mayor Bloomberg signed it the same month.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who had earlier signaled that he supported the measure, said anyone who doesn't like the law is free to sue. He said he believes in a woman's right to choose.

"I sign the bill with a conscience, clear conscience that it is providing information and it is not taking sides," Bloomberg said.

The law was due to take effect tomorrow. Anti-abortion groups took Bloomberg up on that offer to sue and today, they won an injunction:

The new law, scheduled to take effect Thursday, poses a significant threat to abortion opponents’ First Amendment rights, U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III said in a sweeping 22-page ruling Wednesday that imposed a preliminary injunction.

[...]

Opponents of abortions rights, who run many of these centers, said requiring them to post a sign about abortions in their facilities violates their free-speech rights.

“We’re absolutely, completely vindicated” by the judge’s ruling, said Chris Slattery, president of Expectant Mother Care Frontline Pregnancy Centers, one of the plaintiffs in the case.

Slattery called the law a “gross violation of the first amendment.” He criticized city lawmakers, who he alleged “could care less about the First Amendment rights of the citizens who advocate life.”

Yeah those city lawmakers, caring about the women of their city not being deceived by misleading advertising and questionable business practices. Those nasty legislators saying you had to be honest about the services you provide in their city (since you weren't willing to be upfront yourselves). How terrible of them. Really.