A bill mandating access to emergency contraception for rape victims in all Wisconsin hospitals has officially been scheduled for a vote Tuesday in the state Assembly, with proponents saying it is likely to pass.
Assembly Bill 377 passed in the Democrat-controlled state Senate in May by a vote of 27 to six. The bill is referred to by supporters as the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill"" and called the ""Chemical Abortion Hospital Mandate"" by opponents.
When the bill was in the Republican-controlled Assembly's Judiciary and Ethics Committee, an amendment was added that would allow hospitals to opt out of the mandate for religious reasons.
Sara Finger, spokesperson for the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Coalition, said there is bipartisan support for the original Senate legislation.
Finger said a poll in May 2007 showed 82 percent of Wisconsin residents supported the original bill. The anti-abortion group Pro-Life Wisconsin opposes the bill, while the anti-abortion group Wisconsin Right to Life is neutral on it.
