Freedom of choice and the right to privacy are two of the most fundamental principles in our country. Why, then, is a Wisconsin State Representative trying to restrict both of these key constitutional rights for UW women? The Republican-controlled Assembly passed legislation this summer introduced by Rep. Daniel LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, that would prohibit University Health Services from dispensing the morning after pill to students. While LeMahieu claims the bill promotes responsible choices, this gratuitous, offensive and otherwise unconstitutional legislation is nothing more than a malicious attack on the reproductive rights of women across campus.
First and foremost, this bill unfairly punishes college women in the area of contraceptive choice. It does not limit a man's ability to buy a condom on campus, but if a woman wished to purchase emergency contraception, she would have to leave campus and find a private clinic that would provide a prescription. Additionally, because the time that elapses between sex and taking the morning after pill influences its effectiveness, the increased distance a woman would have to travel to obtain emergency contraception could prove disastrous. However, this assumes a woman even has access to other forms of medical services. For many students without private health care plans, UHS is the primary service provider. If UHS cannot dispense the pill, women will have fewer options to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
The proposed bill, AB 343, would also negatively effect victims of rape and incest. Emergency contraception is often used following sexual assaults to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. With the real threat of rape on college campuses, Rep. LeMahieu's bill would be extremely dangerous to students. Each year, approximately 25,000 rape victims become pregnant as a result of their assault.
Republicans' main argument for this legislation is rooted within their pro-life views. However, the morning after pill is not chemical abortion, as some skeptics believe. Rather, it is merely a higher dosage of regular birth control. The pill does not destroy an already implanted embryo, but instead prevents implantation of the egg before it becomes an embryo. Pro-life proponents of the bill also ignore the fact that if emergency contraception was banned on campus, women would just resort to more costly and painful surgical abortions.
Another problem with AB 343 is that it could unintentionally ban all forms of birth control offered by UHS. Legal experts have suggested an outright ban on birth control could be allowed under the legislation's extremely vague language. Obviously such a restriction would affect thousands of women who use UHS for access to important contraceptive methods. Whether or not LeMahieu's true intentions are to curb these methods entirely is still in debate.
If you are wondering what right the government has in deciding contraception issues for college women, Republicans say the UW System is a public institution largely funded by the state. However, it is a fact that UHS is not directly funded by the state, but rather, by the segregated fees students pay themselves. Additionally, no other state has ever banned emergency contraception on college campuses. The Assembly has already approved AB 343, and if the Senate also approves it and subsequently overrides an impending veto by the governor, Wisconsin would become the first state in the country to ban the distribution of emergency contraception on its public campuses.
The possible effects of LeMahieu's bill are extremely detrimental not only to women on this campus, but women everywhere. This awful excuse for legislation is a malevolent attack on a woman's freedom and privacy. This is not a pro-life attack on abortion, but a Republican attempt to impose their prescribed set of beliefs onto college students. I implore you to tell these politicians to stay out of your private health decisions. Tell LeMahieu what you think of his pathetic attempt to limit your freedom. E-mail him at Rep.LeMahieu@state.legis.wi.us or call him at 608-266-9175. Show him that college students still have a progressive voice here in Madison, and will not stand for shameful efforts that limit our fundamental rights and intrude into our personal lives.
