Worcester Sen. Kennedy Backs Law Dealing With Crisis Pregnancy Centers

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester state Sen. Robyn Kennedy is supporting a new state abortion law that would have ramifications for crisis pregnancy centers — a type of anti-abortion business central to a legislative fight this week between Worcester city councilors and the city manager.

Kennedy added her name as a co-sponsor recently to S. 1114, a bill introduced in February by state Sen. Rebecca Rausch, D-Natick, that would make a host of changes to strengthen access to reproductive medical care in Massachusetts.

The bill includes key provisions that could mean changes for crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs): requiring clinics use licensed ultrasound technicians for the procedure, and banning the practice of requiring pregnant people to look at ultrasounds before proceeding with further medical care.

The state law differs from one that's been introduced at the municipal level here. One year ago, the Worcester City Council in a 7-3 vote requested that the city manager draft a possible ordinance regulating the advertising practices of CPCs.

City Manager Eric Batista has declined to follow through with a proposed ordinance, saying the city could get sued. That led to a confrontation at Tuesday's council meeting between Batista and At-Large Councilor Thu Nguyen — who led the drive for a local CPC law — centering around the council's power to request legislation.

RELATED: Texts Show Worcester Solicitor Avoided Crisis Pregnancy Center Request

Kennedy said she wanted constituents in Worcester to know she's working at the state-level on the issue, but had added her name to the legislation on July 10.

"Crisis pregnancy centers harm women and harm our community. I am working with my colleagues in the Legislature to address these deceitful practices at the state level," Kennedy said in a statement posted to her social media channels Wednesday.

Kennedy said the proposed law is still winding its way through the legislative process, but highlighted that it would complement the ROE Act spearheaded by Kennedy's predecessor, Harriette Chandler.

"The bill is the culmination of work coming out of the Senate and House after the Dobbs decision," Kennedy said, referencing the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.

The issue of regulating CPCs has been a contentious issue, even in heavily Democratic areas. This month, Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle vetoed a city council-passed law regulating CPC advertising practices. LaChapelle cited fears of a legal challenge in a letter to councilors. Worcester City Solicitor Michael Traynor has said the city already received a legal threat from the Wakefield-based Christian policymaking group Massachusetts Family Institute following the council vote.

Connecticut passed a law in 2021 regulating CPC advertising and was sued by lawyers from Alliance Defending Freedom — the same Christian legal advocacy group that backed Colorado graphic artist Lorie Smith in a Supreme Court case seeking the right to deny her services to gay couples, if she ever wanted to. Connecticut settled the lawsuit this year by agreeing not to enforce its CPC law.

S. 1114 largely regulates CPC practices without mentioning them by name. The law does include a provision funding a public education campaign teaching consumers to spot the difference between CPCs and abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. CPCs often intercept people looking for abortion care by mimicking the language of abortion providers and offering some of the same services. The law would also require the state Department of Public Health to keep a list of reproductive care providers and what services they do and do not provide.

According to Kennedy, the state law will soon get a hearing in front of the joint Judiciary Committee, but it's unclear from there if the bill will be up for a vote. If the bill isn't passed by the end of the 193rd session at the end of 2024, it would have to be re-filed in 2025.