Hi there, FIC readers, it’s Nicole Stacy. The following is the text of a letter I sent to Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin via the City’s website this morning in defense of pro-life pregnancy centers. Their very right to exist is what’s being attacked, so I encourage you to make your voices heard as well.

Dear Mayor:

I lived on [Street] in Hartford for eight years, two of which I spent working for a local pregnancy center. Now I live minutes from Maryland’s Centro Tepeyac, which won a $375,000 judgment in its case against a similar ordinance to the one you propose.

I read the Hartford Courant article Friday and your tweet. I know these people, and the accusations against them are outrageous. If you are simply repeating what NARAL told you, please stop.

I sat through NARAL’s press conference with Sen. Blumenthal and Matt Lesser in 2015 where it was more than apparent they had no proof of any wrongdoing — even the reporters were clearly not amused — and a friend had to inform the Senator that yes, she is in fact a real nurse. NARAL is mad that pro-life centers would compete for the same clients? Tough for them.

For months I have seen that Hartford is on the verge of bankruptcy. I find it incredibly irresponsible that you would even consider attacking centers that provide women so much FREE material assistance without government funding and potentially exposing the city to expensive litigation that it would most likely lose.

Meanwhile, the industry your ordinance would protect is one with a history of abuse in Connecticut, including sending the teenage kidnap victim in the Adam Gault case right back into his captivity, no questions asked.

I am writing to ask you to stop and seriously reconsider what you are doing.

Thank you for reading — from a former constituent