via Jessica Pieklo, Care2 Causes
Arizona Republicans lost an effort to force women to explain to their employers why they need and use birth control so that their employer could chose whether or not to allow insurance coverage for that contraception.
The final bill was defeated on a 17-13 vote but not without causing significant controversy nationwide.
The bill functioned as a state version of the Blunt Amendment, the federal proposal that would allow any employer, not just religious institutions, to object to insurance coverage of any medical condition on the grounds they found coverage “morally objectionable”. It represents a distorted and dangerous mis-application of First Amendment principles and Republicans are showing no signs of abandoning this line of reasoning any time soon.
Eight Republicans joined the nine Democrats in voting down the bill.
Filed under: ARIZONA, HEALTH & CARE, POLITICS, THE ISSUES, THE STATE OF STATES, WOMEN Tagged: Abortion, Arizona, Birth control, Blunt Amendment, Contraception, Contraceptives, Democrats, Employee, Employer, First Amendment, Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Moral Objection, Religious Exemption, Republicans, War on Women, Women
