Woman of the Week

And she’s a New Yorker. I’m in love!
New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney has introduced legislation that would regulate the advertisement of “crisis pregnancy centers” that aim to convince pregnant women against having abortions.
The centers are all owned by anti-choicers, and use names and signs intended to look like Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. When the women arrive, the coercion begins. “Women I’ve talked to are just unbelievably shaken by it,” says Maloney. “One said they closed the door and wouldn’t let her get out.”
The bill would essentially require the Federal Trade Commission to prohibit any group from advertising “with the intent to deceptively create the impression that such person is a provider of abortion services if such person does not provide abortion services.” Maloney says the legislation was carefully drafted so it wouldn’t infringe on free speech, but some (libertarians and such) claim that proposing the bill is a bad move and is, in fact, unconstitutional.
Yet the American Civil Liberties Union has endorsed the bill, saying that the FTC should have addressed this issue before and that “It’s already clear that deceptive advertising and false advertising is illegal.”
Sweet. Let’s hope this one passes.