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False advertising on abortion?
The City Council has set its sights on what several council members warn is a growing problem that’s flown under the radar too long — one that’s taken advantage of vulnerable women locally and nationwide.
Their plan: a new measure that would prohibit crisis pregnancy centers from misrepresenting the health services they provide, including abortion, and opening a path for legal recourse if people are misled.
The proposed ordinance, introduced by members Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Roberto Uranga and Megan Kerr, would allow the city to fine a pregnancy center between $2,500 and $10,000 if it’s caught falsely advertising the services it provides, such as prenatal care, abortions and emergency contraceptives. It would also allow individuals to file lawsuits.
It targets any culpable facility engaging in predatory marketing, regardless of its religious affiliation or mission.
Crisis pregnancy centers have grown especially notorious following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Known to attract women seeking an abortion, these facilities — very often faith-backed — usually look and sound like full-service reproductive health clinics, stocking front desks with waiting rooms and putting non-medical staff in lab coats. But rather than offering comprehensive healthcare, their primary goal is to intercept pregnant women and talk them out of terminating a pregnancy.
As abortion bans swept across the country, California saw an influx of out-of-state patients — between 8,000 and 16,100 more annually, including thousands in Los Angeles County alone.
In response, these centers ramped up pay-per-click ad campaigns targeting search terms like “abortion clinic.” State and local public health officials warn that these tactics trick vulnerable patients into scheduling appointments under false pretenses, stringing them along with false medical claims until they pass key legal or medical windows for abortions.
The proposed ordinance aims to curb those tactics. In written public comment ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Long Beach resident Susan Berges put it bluntly, writing that these centers exist solely to dissuade women from seeking an abortion.
“Yet they make it sound like they provide abortion services, including the abortion pill,” she added. “They are not true medical facilities or clinics, even though they try to appear that way.”
You can submit your own comment by clicking on the Aug. 11 City Council agenda here or by emailing [email protected]
Other items to watch
- More crucial budget hearings this week. This includes the Tuesday at 1 p.m. Budget Oversight Committee, which will hear presentations on city development fees, the status of Measure US and infrastructure projects funded by City Measure A. Then at 5 p.m., the City Council will hear department presentations on the Police, Fire and Emergency Preparedness departments. There are major cuts up for discussion, so expect robust debate.
- A proposed ordinance going before the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday would prohibit class 3 e-bikes on sidewalks. This doesn’t include multi-use paths like in some city parks. The item, if approved, will also remove a 20-year ban on riding bikes on Queensway Bridge. Officials note in the item that the changes largely align city code with state law.
- Plans are moving forward to dredge up to 415,000 cubic feet of sand and rock from the Alamitos Bay Entrance Channel, with the sediment used to replenish the Peninsula beach between 61st Place and 72nd Place. If approved, work starts this fall and finishes next winter and costs roughly $11.4 million.
- Citing ongoing concerns with trash and vandalism, Councilmember Tunua Thrash-Ntuk is revamping efforts to establish a triaged plan between police, fire and health agencies that answer calls along the private railways that span West and North Long Beach. A previous agreement in 2024 was ruled infeasible due to high costs and disagreements between the city and Union Pacific, which uses the rail line. The item cites high call volume for police and paramedic response.
- THUMS Long Beach Company, which represents the interested operators of offshore oil islands, wants to initiate a $9.5 million purchase of the undersea power cables that supply power to the four islands, with the city pitching in $750,000. In December 2024, SoCal Edison, which owns and operates the cables, filed an application that sought upwards of $190 million to replace the electrical network. By acquiring the infrastructure, the city and THUMS believe they can replace the facilities at a far lower cost.
ICYMI — California and national news
- California’s instant EV rebates are now available for these three brands (Los Angeles Times)
- Long Beach plans to cut library hours, staff even as workers say demand is soaring (Long Beach Post)
- TV crews can’t stay away from this beachfront Long Beach home. Here’s its unique history (Long Beach Post)
- Inglewood is bulldozing a shopping center with more than 20 businesses for a stadium shuttle system (The LA Local)