1042 - The Pill Bill

Governor Owens vetoed House Bill 1042 yesterday. Of course the Denver Post is all over it this morning.

In a big surprise, Jim Spencer decided to use up his alloted space to criticize the Governor:

"Gov. Bill Owens spent two single-spaced pages Tuesday explaining why he vetoed a newly passed bill that would have required hospitals to inform rape victims about emergency contraception.

What the governor didn't bother to mention is what he would say to a sexual-assault victim who ended up pregnant by her attacker because her doctors chose not to tell her she didn't have to be.

That's what the "EC bill," as it came to be known, was all about.

"I have never heard of a rape victim who wanted to have her rapist's baby," said Cynthia Stone, spokeswoman for the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault. "But this bill was just about information. We believe this should be a victim's choice, and we support the victim in any choice she makes."

So should the governor."

Hmm, if the bill is about information, why did it specify that hospitals have to be the ones that give out the information? Maybe they can re-write the bill to make the police or other counselors give the information to the women.

Even better, maybe Spencer and the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault could spend their time and their alloted number of newspaper column inches to inform women of this option. Spend more time educating women that this choice is available so that the hospitals don't have to.

Nah, that's no fun. It's more important for Spencer to slam the Governor for his beliefs than to present any real solutions that respect both the victim's and the religious beliefs of the care providers.

There's more on this subject over at BestDestiny and Thinking Right.