Pro-life pregnancy centers in Hawaii will be forced to advertise free abortions beginning next Wednesday by state law.
Democratic Gov. David Ige allowed the mandatory disclaimer bill to become law on Tuesday night, the Daily Signal reported. The new law is similar to one passed in California in 2015 that is being challenged in court.
Hawaii has five pro-life pregnancy centers in the state, and under the new law, they will be required to post a sign and give a notification to all clients saying that the state offers free abortions and provide a link to a state website. According to the Daily Signal, the signs must include the following wording:
This clinic does not provide abortion services or abortion referrals. Only ultrasounds performed by qualified healthcare professionals and read by licensed clinicians should be considered medically accurate.
Hawaii has public programs that provide immediate free or low-cost access to comprehensive family planning services including all FDA-approved methods of contraception, prenatal care, and abortion for eligible women.
To apply for medical insurance coverage that will cover the full range of family planning and prenatal care services, apply on-line at mybenefits.hawaii.gov.
All of the pregnancy centers are funded and operated by Christians who have formed the organizations to provide alternatives to abortion.
Hawaii's new law will force the centers to pay $500 for their first violation and $1,000 for each subsequent violation.
Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, a network that includes three of the centers in Hawaii, released a statement condemning the new law.
"Hawaii's pregnancy help organizations are delivering caring, compassionate help for women and families at absolutely zero cost to the state's taxpayers," Godsey said. "No woman should ever feel so alone or trapped that she feels abortion is her only option, but this is exactly the situation laws like these create."