Republican congressmen demand NC attorney general protect crisis pregnancy center
“If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.”
Vandals spray-painted those words in red with an anarchist symbol on Mountain Area Pregnancy Services in Asheville two months ago.
On Friday, Rep. Ted Budd and Sen. Thom Tillis, both North Carolina Republicans, called on Attorney General Josh Stein to do something about it.
Pregnancy Centers
In a letter to the attorney general, released by the lawmakers Friday, Budd and Tillis said that crisis pregnancy centers exist to give women support and resources during pregnancy, including critical counseling services, parenting classes and vital supplies like diapers and formula.
“This noble work makes the attacks and threats of violence against these organizations all the more disturbing and unacceptable,” they wrote.
According to the organization’s website, Mountain Area Pregnancy Services in a “Christ-centered outreach ministry” that partners with churches in western North Carolina to offer counseling and education to people impacted by “at-risk pregnancies.”
Groups like Planned Parenthood — which offer reproductive health care and pregnancy planning, along with abortion services — call crisis pregnancy centers “shady” and say that the clinics lie about abortion, birth control and sexual health.
Attacks on pregnancy centers increase
Attacks on crisis pregnancy centers and abortions clinics have increased following an early release in May of the U.S. Supreme Court’s intention to overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark case that ensured a woman’s right to abortion. The court followed through with its plan in June.
WLOS, the ABC affiliate in Asheville, was first to write about Mountain Area Pregnancy Services’ defacement. Besides a message threatening the center’s safety, vandals graffitied the words, “No forced birth,” and broke several windows.
A group called Jane’s Revenge — a militant, shadowy pro-abortion group that formed following the Supreme Court’s decision — has taken credit for the damages.
“Failure to act will send a message that crimes against Crisis Pregnancy Centers are silently condoned and will not be met with the consequences they rightly deserve,” Tillis and Budd wrote to Stein.
How will Stein respond?
Budd, who represents a portion of the Triad, is running to replace Sen. Richard Burr in the U.S. Senate. His campaign website talks about his pro-life stance and his desire to defund Planned Parenthood.
Budd is running against former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, a Democrat, who is endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and supports codifying Roe v. Wade.
Like Beasley, Stein has taken a stance supporting a woman’s right to abortion and has refused to ask a federal judge to reinstate the state’s 20-week abortion ban, despite the urging of Republican state leaders.
His office confirmed Friday that he received the letter from Tillis and Budd.
“The AG is committed to protecting North Carolinians and works hard each day to do just that,” said Laura Brewer, Stein’s deputy chief of staff. “As these federal leaders know, local law enforcement and district attorneys would have authority over these issues. Anyone with specific public safety concerns should report them to local law enforcement.”
Tillis and Budd said in their letter that the attack on the crisis pregnancy center violates state and federal law including The Freedom of Clinic Entrances Act of 1994.
“The law empowers state attorney generals such as yourself with the authority to seek civil relief for conduct that violates the FACE Act,” they wrote. “Considering the seriousness of these crimes, law enforcement cannot play favorites when it comes to pursuing justice.”
Tillis and Budd urged Stein to use every civil and criminal resource available to protect crisis pregnancy centers.
The lawmakers requested an update from Stein no later than Aug. 15 to address what steps he has taken.
This story was originally published August 1, 2022 at 4:08 PM.
