Friday, August 20, 2004
Wisconsin: Where the government fights the people
Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager announced on August 16 that current state law requires employers to pay for contraceptives if their insurance programs cover other medical prescriptions. Failure to pay contraceptive costs would constitute illegal discrimination against women, she said.
The attorney general's announcement-- which came in response to a question from the state's health secretary-- is not legally binding, and some opponents have hinted that they may appeal the decision. But Lautenschlager's statement indicates that state prosecutors could take action against employers whose programs do not include contraceptive coverage, arguing that their programs are in violation of existing law.
Kathleen Hohl, a spokesman for the Milwaukee archdiocese, told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Church leaders are not making any immediate plans to change their insurance programs, which do not cover birth-control costs.
This, of course, is the state where the people got sick of the Governor's vetoes of their partial birth abortion ban and proceeded to collect enough signatures themselves to override the veto because the legislature was too wussy to do anything about it. I think, anyway. I don't have the story handy. Grr.
I did, however, find this lovely story about freedom of speach.
The attorney general's announcement-- which came in response to a question from the state's health secretary-- is not legally binding, and some opponents have hinted that they may appeal the decision. But Lautenschlager's statement indicates that state prosecutors could take action against employers whose programs do not include contraceptive coverage, arguing that their programs are in violation of existing law.
Kathleen Hohl, a spokesman for the Milwaukee archdiocese, told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Church leaders are not making any immediate plans to change their insurance programs, which do not cover birth-control costs.
This, of course, is the state where the people got sick of the Governor's vetoes of their partial birth abortion ban and proceeded to collect enough signatures themselves to override the veto because the legislature was too wussy to do anything about it. I think, anyway. I don't have the story handy. Grr.
I did, however, find this lovely story about freedom of speach.
