First Choice Women's Resource Centers, Inc. v. Davenport

In April 2026, First Choice Women's Resource Centers, Inc., a nonprofit pro-life pregnancy center network, challenged a Davenport, Iowa ordinance requiring centers that do not offer abortions to post notices informing clients how to access publicly funded abortion services. The plaintiff argued the ordinance compelled speech in violation of the First Amendment and discriminated against pro-life viewpoints. The case followed the Supreme Court's NIFLA v. Becerra precedent. A federal court heard arguments on whether the ordinance survived strict scrutiny or was a permissible regulation of professional speech. The dispute centered on whether the notice requirement was factually neutral public health information or ideological compelled speech.

The federal district court granted summary judgment for First Choice Women's Resource Centers and permanently enjoined the Davenport ordinance, holding that it failed strict scrutiny and constituted unconstitutional compelled speech.

Whether a city ordinance compelling pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise abortion services violates the First Amendment's free speech and free exercise clauses.

Reinforced First Amendment protections for faith-based pregnancy centers and limited local governments' ability to impose abortion-related disclosure mandates.