FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 23, 2011
CONTACT:
Alessandra Soler Meetze, ACLU of Arizona, (602) 773-6006 or 301-3705 (cell); ameetze@acluaz.org
Robyn Shepherd, ACLU national, (212) 519-7829 or 549-2666; media@aclu.org
PHOENIX – A federal court today has temporarily blocked the implementation of an Arizona law that would exclude any nonprofit organization that provides abortion referrals or counseling from receiving donations through the state’s Working Poor Tax Credit Program. The law was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Arizona and the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence (AzCADV).
“We are pleased the court blocked this dangerous and unconstitutional law from going into effect,” Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of the ACLU of Arizona. “Our laws do not allow the state to prevent a woman in crisis from receiving open and honest information about abortion, just because the state disagrees with her choice.”
The Working Poor Tax Credit Program allows taxpayers to claim a credit on their state tax returns if they make a donation to organizations that serve low-income Arizona residents. However, the law prohibits an otherwise qualified organization from participating in the program, if the organization provides referrals for abortion. The law is so broad that it could prevent groups from even discussing abortion or other reproductive health services with women in crisis.
“This past year has seen a drastic increase in government attempts to interfere in a woman’s personal medical decisions but time and again these laws have been stopped by the courts,” said Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. “Surely the state has better things to do than punish organizations for providing survivors of domestic violence with unbiased information about abortion.”
Organizations that serve survivors of partner violence and sexual assault in particular would be hurt by this law. Many victims of domestic violence have experienced a range of sexually abusive behaviors, including rape, which can lead to unwanted pregnancy. It is essential that a woman overcoming a violent relationship be able to make her own health care decisions. Survivors of domestic and sexual violence deserve to have access to a full range of information and options when escaping an abusive situation.
“Our members shouldn’t feel torn between presenting a pregnant woman with information about her options and sacrificing much-needed donations,” said Elizabeth Ditlevson, acting executive director of AzCADV. “The needs of the woman and her family should come first. Politics should have nothing to do with it.”
The attorneys on the case are Kolbi-Molinas and Brigitte Amiri of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, and Dan Pochoda of the ACLU of Arizona.
More information on this case can be found at:
www.aclu.org/reproductive-freedom/arizona-coalition-against-domestic-violence-vs-arizona-department-revenue