>> DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> LAST WEEK, WE HEARD FROM THREE WOMEN WHO HAVE HAD ABORTIONS.

TONIGHT, CONTINUING OUR SERIES ON ABORTION IN WISCONSIN, WE BRING YOU A STORY ABOUT WHAT ARE CALLED PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS, WITH DOZENS OF THESE NONPROFITS ACROSS THE STATE ENCOURAGING WELL TO KEEP THEIR PREGNANCIES ADVOCATING AGAINST ABORTION.

REPUBLICANS WANT TO PROVIDE THEM WITH STATE FUNDING, BUT CRITICS WARN OF THEIR NON-ACCREDITATION AND SOMETIMES FALSE INFORMATION.

STEVEN POTTER HAS THIS STORY.

>> AT FIRST, I WANTED AN ABORTION BECAUSE I NEVER WANTED KIDS, BUT AFTER I HEARD HIS HEARTBEAT, IT MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET AN ABORTION, I GUESS.

>> ABORTION BECAME ILLEGAL IN WISCONSIN MORE THAN A YEAR AGO WHEN SUPREME COURT RULED THAT STATES WOULD INDIVIDUALLY DECIDE ON ABORTION ACCESS.

THAT LEFT STANDING A WISCONSIN LAW PASSED IN 1849 THAT EFFECTIVELY BANNED ABORTION, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, SOME ORGANIZATIONS SAY THEY'VE BECOME MUCH BUSIER.

>> WE ARE SEEING A LOT MORE WOMEN COMING IN THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE SEEKING OPTIONS BECAUSE THE ABORTION ISN'T READILY AVAILABLE HERE.

>> THAT'S RU RITA NECESSARY, MANAGER FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN WAUKESHA COUNTY CALLED LIFE'S CONNECTION.

>> LIFE'S CONNECTION IS A MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL AND RESOURCE CENTER.

>> THE ORGANIZATION OFFERS PREGNANCY, S.T.D.

TESTING, PRENATAL COUNSELING, ADOPTION SUPPORT, AMONG OTHER SERVICES.

>> WE CAN SEE ANYONE FROM A TEEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH MARRIED COUPLES THAT COME IN AND JUST WOULD LIKE OUR LABOR AND DELIVERY CLASSES OR TO PREPARE FOR PREGNANCY OR NEWBORN CARE.

THIS IS OUR ULTRASOUND SUITE.

HERE'S WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY CONNECT MOM WITH BABY.

AGAIN, SEE THAT TRUE DEVELOPMENT.

WE CALL IT THE WINDOW TO THE WOMB.

>> BUT ONE THING THEY WON'T DO AT LIFE'S CONNECTION IS REFER ANYONE WHO IS PREGNANT FOR AN ABORTION.

>> WE DON'T OFFER REFERRAL FOR ABORTION, BUT WE DO EDUCATE.

WE HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ABORTION WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THEM AND FOR THE BABY NOW AND IN THE FUTURE AND HOW PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY THEY COULD BE IMPACTED.

>> ACCORDING TO CHOOSE LIFE WISCONSIN, THERE ARE MORE THAN 70 PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS LIKE LIFE'S CONNECTION AROUND THE STATE.

AND BECAUSE OF THEIR PRENATAL SUPPORT AND THE FACT THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS DON'T REFER PREGNANT PEOPLE FOR ABORTIONS AND DO ACTIVELY DISCOURAGE ABORTIONS, SOME REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS IN WISCONSIN THINK THEY SHOULD RECEIVE STATE TAXPAYER FUNDING.

>> IF YOU WALK INTO A PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO REVERE YOU TO AN ABORTION.

THAT'S NOT WHY THEY EXIST.

>> STATE SENATOR ROMAINE ROBERT QUINN, HAS INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO FUND THESE CENTERS, WHICH ARE SOMETIMES CALLED CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS, WITH STATE MONEY.

HE'S PROPOSING GIVING THE CENTERS $1 MILLION PER YEAR.

THAT MONEY WOULD BE FUNNELED TO THE CENTERS THROUGH GRANTS ADMINISTERED BY CHOOSE LIFE WISCONSIN.

THE SENATOR SAYS THE STATE SHOULD PROVIDE THE MONEY BECAUSE THESE CENTERS DO NECESSARY WORK.

>> THEY JUST GIVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF SUPPORT AND SERVICE AND A PLACE FOR FAMILIES TO GO THAT THEY'RE QUESTIONING AM I READY FOR THIS PREGNANCY OR MAYBE IT'S UNEXPECTED OR MAYBE I'M FLEEING AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP AND FOUND OUT I'M PREGNANT, SO THERE'S SO MUCH GOOD THEY DO.

>> GABRIELA BOLDON SAYS SHE WASN'T PLANNING TO GET PREGNANT A YEAR AGO.

>> I TOOK A PREGNANCY TEST AND IT WAS POSITIVE AND I STARTED CRYING.

IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT I WANTED, I GUESS.

I WAS GOING TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD FIRST AND IT'S ACTUALLY RIGHT NEXT TO THE LIFE CONNECTIONS IN WAUKESHA, SO I SAW, LIKE, ULTRASOUNDS AND STUFF RIGHT ON THE SIDE SO I WAS, LIKE, WE'RE GOING TO GO HERE AND SEE WHAT, LIKE, THEY OFFER.

>> DURING HER VISIT WITH THE NURSE AT LIFE'S CONNECTION, SHE SAYS THEY DISCUSSED ABORTION AND SHE WAS GIVEN AN ULTRASOUND.

SHE FELT ENCOURAGED BY STAFF AT LIFE'S CONNECTION TO HAVE THE CHILD AND BECOME A MOTHER.

>> I WAS ASKING HER, LIKE, WHAT IS -- LIKE HOW DO ABORTIONS WORK AND SHE WAS JUST TRYING TO, LIKE, WEIGH OUR OPTIONS AND TO SEE WHICH ONE WAS BETTER AND JUST TO GIVE US, LIKE, WELL, GIVE ME HOPE THAT I COULD DO IT.

IT WAS AFTER WE SEEN AND HEARD THE HEARTBEAT IS WHERE I SAID, NO, I DON'T WANT TO GET AN ABORTION ANYMORE AND I JUST WANTED TO KEEP HIM.

>> NECESSARY FLOREZ SAYS THAT L BELIEFS IS THAT ABORTIONS ARE HARMFUL TO WOMEN.

>> A WOMAN THAT GOES THROUGH AN ABORTION IS GOING TO BE IMPACTED EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY, AND SO AT NO POINT WOULD IT EVER BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR HER IN ANY WAY.

>> THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, HOWEVER, SAYS THAT HAVING AN ABORTION DOES NOT INCREASE A WOMAN'S RISK OF THE HEALTH DANGERS OFTEN CITED BY PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS.

NOR DOES IT INCREASE THE RISK FOR MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.

SARA FINGER LEADS THE WISCONSIN ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH.

SHE SAYS THE PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS ARE SPREADING MISINFORMATION.

>> THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE GIVING IS OFTEN ACTUALLY FULL OF LIES.

THEY HAVE STUDIES THAT ARE SHOWING HOW THESE WEBSITES AND THE CENTERS THEMSELVES ARE TALKING ABOUT FALSELY CLAIMING THAT ABORTION WILL INCREASE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.

THEY'RE FALSELY INDICATING THAT YOU CAN -- ABORTIONS WILL LEAD TO BREAST CANCER OR IN INFERTIL, AND THESE ARE ALL LIES.

>> PHYSICIANS GROUPS HAVE RAISED RED FLAGS ABOUT PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS.

>> AND THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, WHO IS A PREDOMINANT LEADER IN TERMS OF HEALTHCARE IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE PROVIDERS AND THE AMERICAN CONGRESS OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS BOTH HAVE BRIEFS WARNING PEOPLE ABOUT THE DANGERS AND THE UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR OF THESE FAKE CLINICS.

>> FLOREZ REJECTS CLAIMS THE PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS PROVIDE MISLEADING INFORMATION TO THEIR CLIENTS.

>> WE TELL THEM EXACTLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO PARENT, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO ADOPT -- TO CONSIDER ADOPTION AS AN OPTION AND ALSO WHAT ABORTION WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THEM, SO I FEEL THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, AS TRUTHFUL AS WE ABSOLUTELY CAN BE.

WE DON'T HIDE ANYTHING.

AND THEN WE GUIDE THEM TO WHATEVER SERVICES THAT THEY MIGHT NEED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF REFERRING FOR ABORTION.

>> SHE ADDS THAT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE HERS COULD CERTAINLY BENEFIT FROM THE STATE FUNDING BEING PROPOSED IN SENATOR QUINN'S LEGISLATION.

>> WE ARE A 501(c)(3), SO THAT MEANS EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AS A NONPROFIT IS DONE BY DONATIONS EITHER BY INDIVIDUAL OR BY, YOU KNOW, A CHURCH, AND ANY OTHER KIND OF A GROUP THAT WOULD LIKE TO DONATE TO US.

>> BUT FOR SARA FINGER FROM THE WOMEN'S HEALTH ALLIANCE, THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IS ANOTHER REASON THAT THE CENTERS SHOULDN'T GET STATE FUNDING.

>> I'M SORRY, BUT IF THERE'S EVEN ONE DOLLAR OF TAXPAYER FUNDED MONEY GOING TOWARDS TO SUPPORT THESE FAKE CLINICS, WHO ARE NOT LICENSED, WHO ARE NOT -- THEY'RE NOT REGULATED, THEY'RE NOT ACCREDITED, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW HIPAA REGULATIONS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO PROTECT YOUR FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES AND YOUR CONFIDENTIALITY, WHY ARE WE EVEN CONSIDERING PUTTING A SINGLE DOLLAR TOWARDS THESE FAKE CLINICS ANYWHERE IN THIS COUNTRY?

>> SENATOR QUINN SAYS HE'S UNBOTHERED BY ANY FAITH-BASED CONNECTION GNAT PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS HAVE AND SAY THE CENTERS DESERVE FUNDING.

>> I DON'T CARE WHO DOES THE WORK.

THEY'RE DOING GREAT WORK, SO IF IT'S FAITH-BASED OR NOT FAITH-BASED, IT'S NOT A CRITERIA THAT'S A MUST, SO IT SHOULDN'T BE THE OTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN'T BE THAT.

I GET FRUSTRATED SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE CALL THEM FAKE CLINICS OR THINGS LIKE THAT AND IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY BABY IS GOING TO BE ABORTED, AND SO FOR THOSE FAMILIES THAT WANTED TO RAISE A CHILD AND WANT SUPPORT, WHY NOT SUPPORT THEM AND SUPPORT THE VERY CENTERS THAT GIVE THEM THE SERVICES, THE CLASSES, A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON AND TALK TO?

>> REPORTING FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M STEVEN POTTER.

>> NEXT WEEK ON HERE DISPOWN, A REPORT ON THE LAWSUIT OVER THE 1849 ABORTION BAN NOW IN PLACE, WITH BR PRACTICING PHYSICIANS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW BEST TO PROVIDE CARE TO THEIR PATIENTS.

YOU CAN ALSO TUBE INTO A ESSENTSPECIALSERIES OF REPORTS E TITLED HOW WE GOT HERE, ABORTION IN WISCONSIN SINCE 1849.

FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT PBS WISCONSIN