Mass. Lt. Gov. Urging Gov. To Sign Bill Requiring Hospitals To Offer EC to Rape Survivors, Allow Pharmacies To Dispense EC

Massachusetts Lt Gov Kerry Healey (R) on Wednesday said she will encourage Gov Mitt Romney (R) to sign a measure that would broaden access to emergency contraception, but she did not explicitly endorse any legislation, the... Boston Globe reports. "I am a strong advocate for pro-choice, and I expect to bring that voice to the table when the governor and I and his other advisers sit down to discuss the bill," she said, adding that Romney "has always said that he was personally pro-life, and I've always said that I was personally pro-choice" (Ebbert, Boston Globe, 7/14). The state Legislature currently is considering legislation (SB 2073/HB 1643) that would require hospital emergency departments to offer emergency contraception to rape survivors and allow pharmacists to dispense EC to women without a doctor's prescription (Boston Globe, 7/14). The Senate-approved version of the measure would require hospitals to provide medically accurate, written information about EC -- to be prepared by the state public health commissioner -- to all female rape survivors. Hospitals also would be required to provide EC to any rape survivor who requests it. In addition, pharmacists wishing to dispense EC without a doctor's prescription would have to complete a specialized EC training program approved by the state public health commissioner. The House-approved version of the measure differs from the Senate version in that it would exempt privately controlled hospitals that object to dispensing EC on moral or religious grounds. The House version also would require hospitals to report to the state Department of Public Health (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 7/8). The bills have been sent to a House-Senate conference committee to work out the differences between the two versions (Boston Globe, 7/14).

Romney's Position
Healey on Wednesday did not offer any insight into Romney's position on the measure. Romney during his 2002 gubernatorial campaign suggested that he favored wider access to EC, which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse, but has since said he must examine the resulting bill to ensure it does not affect state abortion laws. Romney's refusal to take a stance on the issue has led to discussion over whether he is becoming more conservative, especially on abortion-related issues, as he considers a 2008 presidential run, the AP/Needham Daily News Transcript reports (Emery, AP/Needham Daily News Transcript, 7/14).


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