As a resident of King County for 37 years, I have worked for decades on behalf of a woman’s right to receive the full range of reproductive health care options, wherever she resides.
I was shocked recently to find that “crisis pregnancy centers” were expanding their presence in South King County. These pregnancy centers pose as medical clinics, purporting to offer accepted care and choices for pregnancy. In reality, they offer no medical services and no choices.
I will be watching closely this week as the Supreme Court takes up NIFLA v. Bacerra, in which fake medical clinics in California are arguing that they have a constitutional right to set up such a practice. The decision in this case will have ripple effects across the nation, including here in King County, where the county council recently passed a law requiring “crisis pregnancy centers” to post signs informing the public that they are neither medical facilities nor comprehensive reproductive health care providers.
It’s my hope that however the Supreme Court rules, all the cities in our county, at least, will take the required action to ensure that all our residents, regardless of income, immigration status, or zip code, have access to medically accurate information for their reproductive health care options.
Anne Kroeker, Des Moines