Oregon Pumping Bill Passes the House
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Saturday, March 31, 2007
Oregon House Bill 2372 passed the house in a vote of 49-7 this week. It now moves on to the senate, where it is expected to pass before the end of the legislative session.The version of the bill that passed the house requires businesses that employ 25 or more people accommodate nursing mothers. They must do this by:
1.) Providing a clean and private location (not a bathroom) to express milk
2.) Provide unpaid break time for the employee to express milk
The bill does not require them to provide storage for the breast milk and it includes provisions for companies to negotiate an alternative if the accommodation places "undue hardship" on the business.
Things are really trucking along in the last year or so in terms of breastfeeding legislation.
My own state of Ohio is working on a bill to exclude nursing mothers from jury duty and of course I'll be helping Robin and the Ohio Breastfeeding Coalition move forward in the fight to end day care discrimination against breastfed children.
Congrats Oregon moms!
Labels: Lactivism, Nursing in Public
We really have two hard working moms to thank for getting this bill as far along as it is at this moment: Diane Garrett from the Nursing Mother's Council and Chris, the Reluctant Lactivist, who is a co-creator of Mom's Milk Anywhere. Here's a link to Chris's blog entry about the bill: click here
Woo-hoo ladies, and woo-hoo Oregon!
I am so SO proud of my wonderful beautiful state. Even if it is raining again after a teaser week of 60+ degrees weather.
I am also happy to report that my own workplace, even smaller than the required 25 persons, is already providing me (the only currently lactating employee) with the now required-by-law provisions. So I also toast my forward-thinking employers.
Huzzah!
What is wrong with covering your breasts (if you are in public) while feeding your baby? I have no issue at all with breast feeding, but I do have issue with a woman who feels she has more of a right to flop her breasts out to feed her baby, than my right to not have to deal with it. She chose to have the child, so why should her rights trump mine (in public)? I didn't tell her to spread her legs and procreate, so she shouldn't be allowed to force her lifestyle on me.
Congrats for another step forward in your Lactivist agenda. But please remember that lactating moms are not the only people on the planet. If you want to be respected, you have to have respect for others as well. Otherwise you are just a hypocrite.
-Me
A. Where is this world where women just 'flop' out their breasts to nurse? Seriously, where is it? I've never in my life seen more than a few milimeters of a woman's breast while she nursed, and that was while sitting across the table from someone I KNEW and who was therefore not trying so hard to be discreet.
B. Doesn't that respect thing go both ways?
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