A troubling trend of attacking women’s rights is making its way across the country. The state of Virginia recently attempted to pass a law mandating that women undergo an invasive procedure known as a transvaginal ultrasound before being able to obtain an abortion. Also, in Missouri and Washington D.C. legislation has been proposed that would make it legal for employers to deny birth control coverage for their employees if employers say it violates their core religious beliefs. These pieces of legislation are an astonishing threat to a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices.
Even more incredible than the legislation is the lack of representation of women in the discussion. During a recent congressional hearing at our nation’s Capitol, a committee chairman invited a group of male church leaders to testify on behalf of religious institutions. Each of these men stated that their beliefs are being threatened because of the new federal Patient Protections and Affordable Care Act. Incredibly, not one woman was asked to testify.
Fortunately, the U.S. Senate voted to kill this controversial proposal, which would have allowed employers and insurance companies to opt out of certain health care coverage if they disagreed with the coverage on moral grounds.
This assault on a woman’s reproductive freedom also is being fought in Missouri. The debate reached a fever pitch when legislation in the Missouri Senate was brought to the floor regarding the so-called infringement on religious beliefs. Members of the majority party want to turn back the clock and eliminate the fundamental rights that protect women when it comes to their health care and employment.
The argument at hand is whether or not an employer should provide health insurance that covers contraceptives. This could potentially be a valid debate to have – if Missouri state law didn’t already provide an opt-out for health insurance companies that object to providing coverage for contraceptives or abortions in Missouri based on moral, ethical or religious reasons!
The bill we debated is not a protector of religious freedoms. It is an assault on women’s autonomy of their bodies. This legislation expands the exclusionary policy to potentially allow any employer or any employee to object to any health insurance coverage if such coverage violates his or her beliefs. Further, it directs the Attorney General’s office to represent people who file such complaints. This legislation is nothing more than an attempt by members of the majority party to ride the coat tails of a national controversy to score cheap political points locally at the expense of women.
The bill would allow any employer to deny coverage for almost any procedure to which he or she might object. If this bill passes, it would almost certainly be a new form of discrimination aimed directly at women, their free-will choices and the right to protect their bodies. Not to mention the economic implications of women being forced to pay non-insurance rates for preventative care prescriptions. These types of measures are unacceptable in our state and we must recognize them as a threat to women’s rights.
