Posted on 12/09/2005 11:07:13 AM PST by NYer
Gov. Mitt Romney abandoned plans Thursday to exempt Roman Catholic and other private hospitals from a new law requiring them to dispense emergency contraception to rape victims.
Romney had initially backed regulations proposed earlier this week by his public health commissioner, Paul Cote Jr., who said the new law conflicted with an older law barring the state from forcing private hospitals to dispense contraceptive devices or information.
The Republican governor, who is considering a run for president in 2008, said he asked his legal advisers to review the matter after members of both parties criticized the regulations. He said the lawyers determined that the new law superseded the old law and that all hospitals should be required to offer the so-called "morning-after pill."
"On that basis I have instructed the Department of Public Health to follow the conclusion of my own legal counsel and to adopt that sounder view," Romney said.
"In my personal view, it's the right thing for hospitals to provide information and access to emergency contraception to anyone who is a victim of rape," he added.
The new law takes effect Dec. 14. Passed this summer by the Legislature, which then overrode Romney's veto, it states that the pill must be available to "each female rape victim."
Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, the likely GOP nominee for governor next year if Romney decides not to seek re-election, had broken ranks with the governor on the issue, saying Wednesday that all hospitals should be required to distribute the pill.
Attorney General Tom Reilly, a Democrat planning to run for governor next year, said Romney's initial legal interpretation was "a backdoor regulation" and would not have survived court challenge. He also highlighted the focus of the law: victims of rape.
"It's a horrible thing to happen to anybody," Reilly said. "You don't want to make it any worse, and this administration was on a road that would have made it worse for women in that position."
The emergency contraception pill is a high dose of hormones that women can take up to five days after sex to prevent pregnancy. Opponents who believe life begins at conception contend the pill is little different from an abortion because it blocks the fertilized egg from being implanted on the uterine wall.
Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom had said the governor supported allowing hospitals to opt out on religious or moral grounds because an exemption "respects the views of health care facilities that are guided by moral principles on this issue."
Caritas Christi Health Care, which is owned by the Catholic Church and is the second-largest health care system in New England, said in a statement it provides emergency contraception to female patients, but only those who are not already pregnant.
Critics said the proposed regulations were an attempt by the Romney administration to cater to conservative primary voters.
"I think this has more to do with political ambitions," said state Sen. Susan Fargo, a Democrat who supports the bill. "Unfortunately you can't decide where you are going to be raped so you can be near the best hospital for that."
Seven other states require hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims, and none include exemptions for religious and moral reasons. Three Illinois pharmacists filed a complaint with regulators in that state this week alleging they were dismissed from their jobs after refusing to fill prescriptions for the pill.
In the hospitals I've been in, the maternity areas have been expanding. I know my insurance company is paying out a substantial amount to *somebody*! And there's quite a bit of elective gynecological surgery covered by insurance, as well as the booming infertility industry. Lots of money out there for hospitals.
Certainly one can see how Emergency would be a loss-leader, though. However, if the government takes over emergency services, you don't want to have any emergencies!
As to Romney, no babykillers get nominated by the GOP. He is no better than his late "brainwashed" father.
It would also be useful if whoever serves as Prophet of the Mormon Church slap Romney theologically up side of the head for sullying the deservedly fine reputation 0f his co-religionists.
Mormon hospitals do not have to serve coffee, booze or tobacco or kill kids. Catholic hospitals do not have to, cannot and may not kill kids. This is not nuclear physics.
Does your post mean that you believe that CATHOLIC hospitals can be FORCED (by "law," no less) to participate in the murder of the innocent unborn to make state representative whazzername "feel" good? First Amendment Freedom to Worship anyone??????
Abortion is a violent act too, drastically so, and has even more permanent effects on the unborn.
You should get VIP service, Mrs. Tax! Something like the old special suites (Clubs) with "tableau riche" that were available only to certain exclusive flyers at airports!
;-o)
Frank
LOL! There was a Catholic hospital in Oklahoma City that would deliver #6-and-higher babies for free, but I only had 4 when we moved to Tulsa.
Let's take it to court, Mrs. Tax. I'll represent you. Der Prinze will be the Outside Guard.
Frank
PS What are you doing on this board in the middle of a Saturday afternoon only two weeks before Christmas? I figured you'd would be trying to self-clone yourself.
I should add, I had #3 and 4 at Norman Regional, a palatial establishment, conveniently located, but I would have gone to wherever it was for a free delivery of #6 :-).
We are finished shopping, I have about 80% of the Christmas cards done, and my parents left yesterday. I'd be taking my nap now, but Bill got in a fight with Pat and woke James up. I suppose I should go do laundry or something ...
So long RINO boy.
You've got mail!
If you did that, I'd be in a thread on the ACLU and that isn't funny any more. How are you doing, kid? What month are you in now?
F
7-1/2. Doing fine except for being old, enormous, and grumpy!
So, this law requires these hospitals to keep the stuff in stock in the first place? And every whore in Boston can form a line every night at the emergency room, claim they were "raped", and then get free contraception pills from Roman Catholic emergency rooms? Weird.
Mrs. Tax, you are not getting older. You are getting better! And, what a great time of year to be carrying a baby! You can sing to Baby Jesus and Baby Whatzizzname!
So the baby is due sometime in early February? A Candlemas Kid!!
F
What does the CMA have to say about therapeutic abortions?
Before the end of January, I hope. It does give me a real sense of Advent to be pregnant this time of year (for the third time in 5 years). Patrick was born December 22, and by Christmas Eve I was sitting by my tree in a peaceful Percodan fog, watching the snow fall ...
Abp. Chaput either assumes that there is a hormonal or other agent that can actually prevent fertilization post-intercourse, or he's simply theorizing one for discussion purposes.
To the best of my knowledge, there is no hormonal contraceptive, "emergency" or otherwise, that is guaranteed always to prevent ovulation/fertilization, and never to prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg. To me, discussion of the ethical issues involved is misleading unless the biological facts are correctly presented.
http://www.cathmed.org/index.shtml
Main website
http://www.priestsforlife.org/media/interviewisajiw.htm
Part of an interview with their former president and Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life is below.
I am not sure if things have advanced beyond the position paper I listed above in 2003, but their ethical journal, Linacre Quarterly, is available to peruse online on their website.
I would address this question to them if you are interested. In the meantime, I am not sure if the Bishop of Denver has consulted them or not.
BINGO. You really get it, C. I think His Eminence was not fully aware of these implications unless something revolutionary has come out in the last few months. If he is going by the older, standard practices used, he may not know about the CMA and its view of this.
They are an ethical group of medical practioners who have quite a Board of Directors (check the names!). The name of Bishop Vasa made me raise my eyebrows. He is the good Bishop who asked all his catechists to take an oath of fidelity to teach only the Magisterial teachings of the Church. He is my kind of Bishop!
F
>>>Before the end of January, I hope. It does give me a real sense of Advent to be pregnant this time of year (for the third time in 5 years). Patrick was born December 22, and by Christmas Eve I was sitting by my tree in a peaceful Percodan fog, watching the snow fall ...<<<
That is amazing! What a miracle! You, hubby, 7 kids and little baby "Blaise" all around the Christmas tree adoring Baby Jesus.
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