jetcityimage / stock.adobe.com
CV NEWS FEED // San Francisco lawmaker Catherine Stefani is pushing legislation to expand and strengthen buffer zones around abortion facilities in an attempt to restrict pro-life advocates’ access to these areas, according to the San Francisco Public Press.
Stefani’s proposal aligns with other pro-abortion measures coming up for vote in the city, including Proposition O, which would target life-affirming pregnancy centers, establish a city fund for abortions, and declare San Francisco an abortion hub, according to Ballotpedia.
Currently, the city enforces an eight-foot buffer zone around abortion clinics, barring pro-life counselors and advocates from this area. Stefani’s legislation would seek stronger enforcement, directing San Francisco police to regularly meet with Planned Parenthood staff and receive annual training on abortion-related buffer zone policies.
This legislation would also double the distance required for amplified sound near abortion clinics from 50 feet to 100 feet, further limiting pro-life voices from reaching women approaching abortion clinics.
Kimberly Ellis, who directs the Department on the Status of Women in San Francisco, labeled pro-life advocates as “anti-choice extremists,” accusing them of “increased hostility, aggression and intimidation toward women” at a recent hearing.
As Stefani’s proposal heads to the city’s legislative process, San Francisco’s pro-life community is voicing its concern over the targeted restrictions.
In the official argument against Prop O, Pro-Life San Francisco Executive Director Melanie Salazar said the measure is far more than a “pro-life versus pro-choice” issue. She warns it will actively harm life-affirming health care options in San Francisco.
The proposal would require pro-life clinics to post signs advertising abortion centers outside their facilities, without any similar mandate imposed on abortion providers to advertise pro-life clinics. It would also create a fund, using grants, donations, and tax dollars, to cover abortions up to 24 weeks of gestation.
Salazar points out that Prop O includes a new website to promote abortion businesses and disparage life-affirming clinics, which she warns will discourage women from seeking care at these pro-life centers.
She also warns that Prop O would limit city funding for any health care facility that refuses to provide abortions or refer patients to abortion providers, stating that this restriction “limits the expansion of services” life-affirming pregnancy clinics could otherwise offer. Additionally, Prop O would allow new abortion businesses to open in any non-residential zone and establishes an “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day.”
>> ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO URGES A ‘NO’ VOTE ON BALLOT INITIATIVE TARGETING PREGNANCY CENTERS <<
The call for these heightened restrictions comes after California passed Assembly Bill 2099 in September, escalating penalties for violations of the state’s Freedom of Access to Clinics and Church Entrances (FACE) Act. Initially signed in 2001, the FACE Act made it a misdemeanor to obstruct or intimidate anyone entering a reproductive health clinic, punishable by up to a year in jail and fines reaching $50,000 for severe cases. Under the latest legislation, these penalties are now elevated to felony charges, the San Francisco Public Press reported.
In addition, the federal FACE Act, which the Biden administration has used to prosecute peaceful pro-life activists, has raised concerns among pro-life supporters. Most notably, the Department of Justice prosecuted and put behind bars Christian advocates peacefully protesting at a late-term abortion clinic in Washington, D.C., sparking criticism among pro-life groups and members of Congress for government weaponization against pro-life advocates.
