Resolution commending pregnancy centers protested in the House and Senate

Legislators file hundreds of resolutions each year commending people, sports teams, marching bands, even Indian Tribes. Rarely are they controversial.

But this week, abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia is lobbying against HJ 435, which commends pregnancy centers across the state.

Earlier this year, NARAL released a yearlong report about 52 antiabortion pregnancy centers in Virginia, finding that 38 do not have medically trained or supervised personnel on staff, and that two-thirds of the centers provided "some degree of medically erroneous information."

Emily Polak, deputy director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, said the pregnancy centers shouldn't be honored in a resolution. "These centers are using deceptions and inaccurate information,'' she said.

At the time the investigation was released, antiabortion groups said NARAL's efforts were part of a political agenda meant to discredit church-affiliated pregnancy centers, which they say provide counseling and support services at no cost to the public and with little complaint from former clients.

NARAL has notified senators and delegates of the resolution in the hopes they can derail it. The resolution, which was introduced by Del. Chris Stolle (R-Virginia Beach) and Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Winchester), may be considered as soon as today.

In the House, Del. David L. Englin (D-Alexandria) said he plans to ask that the resolution be voted on separately from the others, which is not usually done, giving delegates a chance to vote against it if they want. Englin said he plans to vote against it because he doesn't think the resolution language is accurate praising all centers.