Mass Senate passes emergency contraceptive bill 30-0!

[paineinthearse]

From: "MassNOW - Newsletter" <[e-mail]>

Senate Passes EC Bill By Vote of 37-0!

Mass NOW, along with our sister organizations, are thrilled to announce that the Massachusetts State Senate approved “An Act to Provide Timely Access to Emergency Contraception” (Senate Bill 2073) by a vote of 37-0 yesterday. This important bill would require hospital emergency rooms in Massachusetts to make emergency contraception (EC) available to rape survivors and would also allow specially trained pharmacists to dispense EC without a prescription. EC helps prevent pregnancy if taken within five days of unprotected sex. It is not RU486, the abortion pill, and it will not affect an existing pregnancy.

After hours of intense debate, we were able to defeat two amendments
that would have weakened the bill. We would like to thank the bill's
lead sponsor, Senator Pam Resor for leading this fight. We also thank
Senators Susan Fargo, Brian Lees, Dianne Wilkerson, Jarrett Barrios,
Robert Havern, Stephen Brewer, Cynthia Stone Creem and Richard Tisei for their powerful arguments on behalf of this legislation during the debate.

And finally, a special thank you to all of you for all of your calls
and emails to your State Senator. They certainly made a significant
impact! Now we move to the House of Representatives where we will continue to need your help getting the message out to your legislators that making EC available is compassionate care for rape survivors and that making it more readily available in general is the most promising means of reducing the abortion rate in Massachusetts.

We will keep you informed about the timing of a House vote on the EC
bill so that you know when to weigh in with your State Representative.

[havocmom]

1. Great work

:thumbsup:

[shoelace414]

2. and Wisconsin wants

to make it illegal to University of Wisconsin Health to dispense or talk about emergency contraception.

[MountainLaurel]

3. Woot!

Congratulations on the fine legislative work.

[Warpy]

4. Good for them! That's a REAL antiabortion bill!

It will stop a LOT of abortions.

Punitive fascists take note: Mass. and all other states that pass this sort of thing will have the LOWEST abortion rates in the country.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

5. Massachusetts already has the lowest abortion rate in the country

sex education and access to birth control has a lot to do with it.