Planned Parenthood’s latest antics have Californian conservatives in an uproar.
The legislature is considering a bill that would criminalize the publication of secretly filmed footage obtained within abortion clinics. The bill, AB 1671, is backed by Planned Parenthood and comes after an undercover investigation into Planned Parenthood’s fetal parts sales, according to the Washington Times.
On May 25, the bill cleared the appropriations committee with a 14-6 vote and heads to the assembly floor.
Specifically, AB 1671 criminalizes the publication of video footage from confidential interactions between state-licensed medical personnel (including clinic staff), punishable by up to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine per violation. The bill was introduced by Los Angeles Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez and has caused a stir among pro-life advocates and free speech advocates who fear the bill infringes upon the First Amendment.
Lila Rose, the founder and president of Live Action, said that the new legislation is an attempt to decrease transparency.
“For years, undercover journalists have documented Planned Parenthood employees covering up for sex traffickers, failing to report child sexual abusers, and trafficking in baby body parts,” she said in a statement. “Rather than be more transparent with the public, Planned Parenthood wants to make it a crime for the media to publish evidence that it might be doing something illegal.”
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California Action Funds describes AB 1671 as a “key improvement that closes a current loophole in privacy laws around illegal videotaping.” However, Rose believes that since the group receives public funding, it is the public’s right to know what happens behind closed doors.
“A watchdog media is a cornerstone of a democratic society, and when the public funds half of the abortion giant’s operations, it has a right to know that its money isn’t being used to break the law or commit abuses,” she said.
Media have also expressed outrage concerning the bill’s restrictions.
Nikki Moore, legal counsel for California Newspaper Publishers Association, wrote to Gomez that “AB 1671 seeks to criminalize the exchange of information. It exposes the media and individuals alike to criminal penalties for simply pushing the send button on an email. And it ties the hands of California journalists whose job is to report on issues of public concern.”
If the bill becomes law, it could have considerable implications for investigative journalism.
