Bill would facilitate morning after pill
Women who have been raped or had unprotected sex would have an easier time obtaining emergency contraception pills under a bill approved by the state Senate yesterday.
The bill would require hospital emergency rooms to make the ''morning-after pill," available to rape victims. The legislation would also allow women to obtain the pills from pharmacists without having to go to a doctor first.
The bill now goes to the House, led by House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran, an abortion opponent.
Senator Linda J. Melconian, a Democrat from Springfield, said in a written statement that the passage of this bill is ''a necessary step in providing comprehensive contraceptive treatment for women in the Commonwealth."
''If one woman is denied access to EC (emergency contraception) after surviving the horrific effects of rape, we have failed to protect our citizens," she said. ''We must provide women with reliable and time-sensitive access to contraceptive methods in emergency situations."
Melissa Kogut, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, said her organization was thrilled with the Senate vote. ''This bill will improve access to emergency contraception and decrease the number of unintended pregnancies."
''To those who oppose abortion this is a great bill because it reduces the number of unintended pregnancies," she said.
The Catholic Action League, however, opposed the Senate passage.
''It's a heavy handed aggression against the conscience and constitutional rights of Catholics," said C.J. Doyle the executive director of the group.
He said that Catholic hospitals would be forced to go against Catholic teachings since they would have to distribute the pill under this legislation. If the bill became law, he said that the hospitals would face costly legal battles and closure, leaving a gap in the state's health care system.
Governor Mitt Romney's office declined to comment on the passage in the Senate.
Material from the Associated Press was included in this report.
