Emergency Contraception Bill Passes Legislature

H.R. 1212, Colorado's bill to allow emergency contraception to be prescribed by physicians, sponsored by State Senator Betty Boyd (she was a member of the State House when it was introduced and elevated to the State Senate in mid-session when a vacancy arose), has passed Colorado's General Assembly. It now remains to be seen if Governor Owens will allow it to become law (either with or without his signature).

Owen's has vetoed previous emergency conception bills, which would have mandated that hospitals inform rape victims of the option, regardless of the hospital's religious affiliations, out of free exercise of religion concerns. This year's bill which doesn't mandate that anyone do anything, doesn't raise those concerns, so its prospects with the Governor are not clear, but it does not face a certain veto.