Fighting Control Freaks

With the GOP having kidnapped the nation, Democrats are at least trying to get something useful done in the meantime, this time re-introducing legislation that would prevent pharmacists from refusing to sell contraceptives on religious grounds:  the Access To Birth Control Act.

Sen Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) Tuesday introduced the Access to Birth Control (ABC) Act in the House and Senate, a week after the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report recommending free contraceptives to all women.

"This legislation would prevent a pharmacy from interfering in the personal medical decisions made by a patient and her doctor," Lautenberg said in a press advisory Tuesday. "By guaranteeing access to birth control, we can ensure that women are never denied the right to make responsible decisions about their reproductive health."

"This recommendation from the IOM marks an important first step toward near-universal contraceptive coverage in America, but if women are denied the actual contraceptives when they go to their pharmacist, having no-cost contraceptives is rendered meaningless," Maloney announced as she introduced the bill.

"The ABC Act would make it illegal for a pharmacist to refuse to return a birth control prescription or for a pharmacist to intimidate, threaten or harass customers or intentionally breach or threaten to breach medical confidentiality."

Hey social conservatives, want to prevent unwanted pregnancies that may lead to women seeking abortions?  Want to help women who don't want to have additional children accomplish this?  Here you go.  This legislation's for you.

This is something every social conservative should be lining up to co-sponsor.  Of course, since Republicans despise the idea of women having sex for something other than procreation, they'll do everything they can to block it, but it's not like hypocrisy on women's issues is anything new for them.